Chapter 16—The Pilgrim Fathers
The English Reformers, while renouncing the doctrines of Roman-
ism, had retained many of its forms. Thus though the authority and the
creed of Rome were rejected, not a few of her customs and ceremonies
were incorporated into the worship of the Church of England. It was
claimed that these things were not matters of conscience; that though
they were not commanded in Scripture, and hence were nonessen-
tial, yet not being forbidden, they were not intrinsically evil. Their
observance tended to narrow the gulf which separated the reformed
churches from Rome, and it was urged that they would promote the
acceptance of the Protestant faith by Romanists.
To the conservative and compromising, these arguments seemed
conclusive. But there was another class that did not so judge. The fact
that these customs “tended to bridge over the chasm between Rome
and the Reformation” (Martyn, volume 5, page 22), was in their view
a conclusive argument against retaining them. They looked upon them
as badges of the slavery from which they had been delivered and to
which they had no disposition to return. They reasoned that God has
in His word established the regulations governing His worship, and
that men are not at liberty to add to these or to detract from them. The
very beginning of the great apostasy was in seeking to supplement
the authority of God by that of the church. Rome began by enjoining
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what God had not forbidden, and she ended by forbidding what He
had explicitly enjoined.
Many earnestly desired to return to the purity and simplicity which
characterized the primitive church. They regarded many of the estab-
lished customs of the English Church as monuments of idolatry, and
they could not in conscience unite in her worship. But the church,
being supported by the civil authority, would permit no dissent from
her forms. Attendance upon her service was required by law, and
unauthorized assemblies for religious worship were prohibited, under
penalty of imprisonment, exile, and death.
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