The Penn's Grove record., 1920-12-03
The Story of the Pilgrims

~ ~ SC
The history of its progress and growth
covered practically the entire seven
tenth century, from the time that a
handful of ~Separatists fearfully met
in each others home in Scroobg to
study the Word of God, until Plymouth
was absorbed by the Colony of Mas
~sachusetts. KeRnly disappointed and
often shocked because of what they
regarded as empty Formally and. dis
graceful worldliness in the Establish
ed Church, which, they declared still
retained many of the evils of the Ro-
man Catholic Church of that day, they
determined to shake off the yoke of
anti Christian bondage" and Joined
themselves by salemn covenant Unto
a church estate in the fellowship, of
the Gospel, to walk in all its ways,
made known, or to be made known
unto, them, according to their be5t@ea-
deavors, whatever it shall cost them"
This was their bond of uni0m in
Scrdoby and throughout their history
as a church.
Naturally this; determination met
with much hostility and opposition.
They were not free to conduct their
services as they wished. They had no
church building, but met insteadlinathe,
homes of their members, in small
groups, under most adverse mrcum-
stances.
No bell summoned them; mo- tap of
drum; they headed constantly toobe on.
their guard. Frequently they met inn
the woods and in secluded gravel pits.
Later, the persecution of the Pa
o1-i1 hnooyao M aa,a coxro1rr II -.
said at this time the prisons of Lon-
don "were crowded with Protestant
prisoners and the public executioners
were busy with rope and torch, hurry
ing into eternity the souls of men who
were brave, true. and loyal, and whose
only offense a their earnest faith in
Christ and their desire to worship God
in the simplest and most direct way
Others were put into prisan and COM
demned to remain there until their
lives were slowly worn out.
The persecution of the Pilgrims in
England came from three soarces-
the Church, the State, and their neigh
bors. How extensive this persecution
was has been variously estimated 1t
may not have been very wide, for the
Pilgrims were a comparatively small
body. and so escaped marked atten-
ton. But such as it was, it had much
to do with the departure of the Pill
grims from England
Public officials were turned intaI
spies and charged TO- be alert and UNI
.sparing in doing the bidding of bishop
and crown. There was no relief save
in flight.
d Tia pIln1-noo .uopo Dh,rko~o ar-s
ally, but they withdrew from that
body because il was belived that the
Puritans were untrue to the eight"
as they accepted or condoned certain
practices of the Established Church to.
which the Pilgrims took exception.
The Puritans sought to reform the
Established Church from within. The.
Pilgrims preferred to abolish it alto
gether.
1t is Significant that ten years after
the arrival of the Pilgrims in America,
the practices which the Pilgrims so
heartily detested were discontinued,
and later, in America, the Puritans
accepted practically the entire pro-
gramme and policy of the Pilgrims.
The migration of the Pilgrims, first
to Holland and then to America, was,
not for the purpose of adventure nor
for the sake of building up a. prosper
Gus economic community, MOI was it
primarily for the purpose of estahr
fishing trading posts which would re-
suit in great financial gain, but to
establish a free colony where they
might worship God in their own way,
to study and apply the word of God
as they pleased, and to set up a Chris
tan commonwealth which should sup
port and sustain the Church.
Had they been seeking freedom only
they might well have remained in
Holland, for this country offered them
all they wanted in this respect-ex-
cepting that they were greatly linn
tied in their economic progress be-
cause of their unwillingness to become
Dutch citizens. But they were not
content to enjoy freedom within a So
ciety to which they did not belong,
and, $50 they went out to the I'm
known in order to create a society in
which they might enjoy freedom be-
gotten of their own spirit"
The fourteen years spent in Holland
had given them an experience which
they believed fitted them for the Great
Adventure. 1t was a question as to
whether they would go to Guiana or
to Virginia. Both these proposals
were rejected, by vote of the people.
1t was finally decided to secure a
patent" for a settlement in Massa-
chusetts-but less than half the Pill
grims decided to leave Holland, it be-
ing agreed that the majority, whether
they went or stayed, should retain the
services of their minister, John Robin
son. Thus Robinson remained in Ley
den, although nominally he was the
pastor of the Plymouth Pilgrims.
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