Pilgrim Fathers
243
overruled events to cause the wrath of Satan and the plots of evil men
to advance His glory and to bring His people to a place of security.
Persecution and exile were opening the way to freedom.
When first constrained to separate from the English Church, the
Puritans had joined themselves together by a solemn covenant, as the
Lord’s free people, “to walk together in all His ways made known or
to be made known to them.”—J. Brown, The Pilgrim Fathers, page 74.
Here was the true spirit of reform, the vital principle of Protestantism.
It was with this purpose that the Pilgrims departed from Holland to
find a home in the New World. John Robinson, their pastor, who was
providentially prevented from accompanying them, in his farewell
address to the exiles said:
“Brethren, we are now erelong to part asunder, and the Lord
knoweth whether I shall live ever to see your faces more. But whether
the Lord hath appointed it or not, I charge you before God and His
[292]
blessed angels to follow me no farther than I have followed Christ.
If God should reveal anything to you by any other instrument of His,
be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth of my
ministry; for I am very confident the Lord hath more truth and light
yet to break forth out of His holy word.”—Martyn 5:70.
“For my part, I cannot sufficiently bewail the condition of the
reformed churches, who are come to a period in religion, and will go
at present no farther than the instruments of their reformation. The
Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw; ... and
the Calvinists, you see, stick fast where they were left by that great
man of God, who yet saw not all things. This is a misery much to
be lamented; for though they were burning and shining lights in their
time, yet they penetrated not into the whole counsel of God, but were
they now living, would be as willing to embrace further light as that
which they first received.”—D. Neal, History of the Puritans 1:269.
“Remember your church covenant, in which you have agreed to
walk in all the ways of the Lord, made or to be made known unto
you. Remember your promise and covenant with God and with one
another, to receive whatever light and truth shall be made known to
you from His written word; but withal, take heed, I beseech you, what
you receive for truth, and compare it and weigh it with other scriptures
of truth before you accept it; for it is not possible the Christian world
should come so lately out of such thick antichristian darkness, and that