The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-11-08

Christ. for he was confident the Lord
had more truth and light yet tp break
forth out of his Holy Word We are
! told that he bCwalled the state anu
condition of the Reformed Churches
VIZ were come TO a period In religion
and would 20 no further than the IN
struments OF their reformation; as lot
example, the Lutherans. they could not
be drawn to so beyond what l'utnrI
he had further impaired and reNealeu
TO Calvin, they will rather die than en-
brace IT. And ;" also you See IN: al :
,iniSts. They stick where ne !"1t thein !:
II misery much to be !an!'nteu: to-
though they were precious SHINING
lights in their times. yet God had NOT
revealed his whole Will 10 them; ana
. were they now living saith he, 1heS
would be as ready and Wiling 10 S"
brace further I.Gnt, ~ that th@y hau
"Thus advised the Pilgrim Fathers
started on the FIRST lap Of the voyage
that, but for thc Clements OF wlnd ana
wave would have landed th%'m IN VIZ
rinia. there to work out their future
Instead. however, tacy landed on tne
colder, more. forbidhing coast OF Ma SIS
achusCtts. Thty stood III hctu OF J"hh
Ruhinson's advice, for hcncclorlh th"y
were l"tt without Il minister pat win
the bible and their own experiences as
teachers For nine years they had no
settled minister. Several men were trica
and found wanting until one man sa!u
that many times the vacancy OF an o.
flee Is easier to De borne IMAM inc un"e:
a layman, continued I" be their spirit
IA. advisor and pr";l, her THIS meant
that the SaI'rNmcniS were not aamlhla-
tered, and marriage WAS made as III
Holland. Il civil contract. Inc 1reeuoIil
which they exercised IN lnterPfctns
10,
led them farther and further from inc
Church OF England. When Mr.. MorcI' Il
minister Of III" Church OF England. WAS
sent out Ia head the churrhcS Whlc,I
might he established in New Euglanu
he lived year att lrmonth ana dld not
show his commission until he WAS IL
bout to depart.
Hardships and Suffering
"Hardship and suffering arc Thorough
md rxaCting teachers. The Pilgrims
Drncd for Themselves that religion IS
They, like their Master. IN WHO'S;
va. they ""vcnahtrd TO VAIN inSvu
nrW ,ntuati tons and learned TO value
character, and love. TO God and 10 man,
as supreme. True 10 their cnN"nAnt
they sought TO pattern their daily ne
after the principles SGT down IN inc
Bible. No greater triumph OF CHRIS
tinNiiy is known in history than tn"
rivIl and religious freedom WhlCh'
through their integrity Of purpose the
Pilgrims gave TO this country ny thcF
Xamnlr Of sClf-eoNrrnm"nt. CITIZEN
ship with them did not rrSt upon ch9rGh
mrmbtrship. captain M!l"s Standish.
H.. n military leader, for six years thrf
assistant governor and for twelve year"
treasurer Of IL" colony. n"frr became
!. mcmbcr of the i'iAntuuih ,huIrh.
When stories ARE related "f = forcing
of chris tiuniiy UPON the Indians, OF
persecution OF Roger Williams, or OF
Inc QuakcrS. they do no; Amply to the
plymouth Colony.
Stern the Pilgrims were. nut tnr3
had = great work to do and th>y couin
not he diverted from their purpose
'rhry do not appear IN the religious con
rrolrrsics of their time. Yet lnrE
Stamped their character upon th3 poiit!
of all the iir$t rhur'hCs IN MHSS"Snu-
S,lts |; WAS Edward WInslow VINO
was sent to England 10 Try to prevent
the liking Of the Westminster Contes-
sion of Faith upon the colony
''lsy trying TO liv" as Jesus lived, the
pilcrims softancd much IN their MAN
ncrS, they became generous to those IN
need, tolerant Of the beliefs OF others
50 long az their lives were commend
ghle, and refused TO bind their own con-
sciences by any creed or letter on inc
law which could not be cEnnEe" ny u
vote Of the congregation. Thus 1t was
the rirst Church Of plymouth that i"H
Inc way towards freedom at later dat"
when they voted for liberal ministry
and suffered the loss of hltE-thr"e 81
their two hundred and siAty-eikht par
80 dearly bought. For three hundred
ye:Irs that church has remained loyal to
the covenant adopted at Srrooby, Eng
land. 1t Is 4 Unitarian church.
While claimine spiritual descent
from the Pilgrims. the test Of our SON
shin must be- found not only, in the re-
lirT nus freedom which We demand for
ourselves. but in our granting Of "aual
freedom TO others. Had the wI;hdra"
ing minority or The fIlgrim cnurSn
wished to subscribe To the ll!STim
covenant, rcScrring to themselves the
right TO their own personal interpreter
lion OF the Scriptures. they would nave
been heartily welcomed. hut they want
ed TO limit the caches OF mems MINDS
IN the mea sure or their own. The Pill
rrlmy were Calv!nists, but they did not
;Ittrmpt to impose Caivinism upon 9TH
crs hv welding authority over them
They had wid too high price for
their freedom.
Bible Christians
Not until the arrival of Ralph Wall
do Emerson and Theodore. darker. two
ministers Of the Unitarian fellowship,
was our body other thun one Of strictly
'R!blc Christians With them more light
and truth broke forth from Gods Word
as inscribed in the consc!rnces OF men.
There, they said. Gods revelations may
he found as well rs In the eKper-
fences of the Hebrews and early Chris
tians as set down in the Bible. In thus
seeking more light and more truth. we
hold that We do not falsely relinautsh
what tho fathers with. difficulty at
tanned but that. like them We are
learning in the school Of life and per
laps We. too, may make some c%ntrinu-
ton to the knowledge OF truth. The
test of the Pilgrims and our fellow
ship with Jesus, must he FOUND IN me
success or failure attained in casting
cut evil. AS TO the question whether or
not VIC are today Rible Christians we
ask in reply. whether or not the BLDG
exhibits advancement anr growth IN
tn, relat innships OF man to man and or
MIN TO God" II SO. then We still claim
To be Bible Christians. The Pilgrim
Declaration of Independence an pro-
claimed by John Robinson WAS itself a
Glra wing forth OF more light and more
truth from Gods most AUTHENTIC word
hearts OF the PROPHETS. OF the disciples
and Of Jesus, but In the hearts Of all