Transcript

America's Providential History Podcast continues with story of Pilgrim forefathers

>> Stephen McDowell: Welcome to America's Providential History Podcast, where we talk about the real story of America and explore the hand of God in our history. Now, here's your host, Stephen McDowell. Hello. glad you're joining us for this edition of America's Providential History Podcast. Today we're going to continue the story of our pilgrim forefathers. We began last week in the podcast taking a look at the history of Plymouth Plantation. This is the great literary and historical work written by William Bradford, the governor of the pilgrims for 33 years, and how he relates all that they went through to come and give birth to the Plymouth Colony, and how we can trace their story and look back at, for the reason that we have a Thanksgiving holiday, which, of course, we celebrate, in November every year. And so in the last podcast, we began to read Bradford's history and we began to learn the story of, of how they separated, from the Church of England in the early 1600s, started their own church. They began to be persecuted, and then they tried to flee, to go to Holland, to, To escape that persecution and to freely worship God, but the authorities wouldn't let him go and went through many difficulties. And so we left the story with, a group of men that had been separated from their wives and children back in England who were carried over on a boat to the Netherlands. How they were miraculously delivered from a storm. And they, of course, were going there with scarce the clothes on their back and without any money. So they were separated from their wives, their children, their clothes, their money, and, they did make it there, but with missing, so much. And so we want to pick up the story reading Bradford's history, as he said, but to return to the others where we left. So he's looking back. What about those women and children who were stuck in a bark in a boat there in a river, and the authorities were coming to try to, thwart them from leaving, but to return to the others, where we left the rest of the men that were in greatest danger made shift to escape away before the troop could surprise them. So there were, you know, they hadn't loaded all the men on the ship. They had just loaded some of them. Then when the authorities came, the men said, well, we've got to get out of here. They're going to arrest us in particular. And as. But those only staying that best might to be assistant unto the women. So some stayed to assist the women. But pitiful it was to see the heavy case of these poor women in this distress. What Weeping and crying on every side, some for their husbands that were carried away in the ship as is before. Related. We related that last week in the podcast, others, not knowing what should become of them and their little ones, others again melted in tears, seeing their poor little ones hanging about them, crying for fear and quaking with cold. Being thus apprehended, they were hurried from one place to another and from one justice to another, till in the end they knew not what to do with them. For to imprison so many women and innocent children for no other cause, many of them, but that they must go with their husbands seemed to be unreasonable, and all would cry out of them. And to send them home again was as difficult, for they alleged, as the truth was, they had no homes to go to, for they had either sold or otherwise disposed of their houses. And living to be short after they had been thus turmoiled a good while and conveyed from one constable to another, they were glad to get rid of them in the end, upon any terms. For all were wearied and tired with them, though in the meantime they poor souls endured misery enough, and thus in the end, necessity forced a way for them. So the women and children were left. They took them around. The authorities, apprehended them, and they're thinking, well, what are we going to do with them? It didn't seem right to imprison them, just wanting to go with their husbands. And they couldn't send them home because they had disposed of the. Their homes and so much of their property to. To, travel, to immigrate to Holland. And so finally, though they got rid of them, let them go. But you can imagine the great difficulty they faced even then. Well, Bradford continues to write, but that I be not tedious in these things, I will omit the rest. Though I might relate many other notable passages and troubles which they endured and underwent, and these their wanderings and travels both at land and sea. But I haste to other things, yet I may not omit the fruit that came hereby. For by these so public troubles and so many eminent places, their cause became famous and occasioned many to look unto the same. And their godly carriage and Christian behavior was such as left a deep impression in the minds of many. And though some few shrunk at these first conflicts and sharp beginnings as it was no marvel, yet many more came on with fresh courage and greatly animated others. And in the end, notwithstanding all these storms of opposition, they all got over at length, some at one time and some in another, and some in one place, and some in another, and met together again according to their desires with no small rejoicing. And so they endured great hardship. Many were inspired to learn about their cause through all that they went through and were drawn to the Lord. Some few shrunk from it under the great difficulty that there was. And so finally, as Bradford observes, all of them, some in one way or some in another, found a way to get over to Holland and met together again, met with the men who had been separated from them according to their desires with no small rejoicing. Now Bradford begins to relate of their setting in Holland and their manner of living and entertainment there. He writes, now, here they are at Holland. They've endured all of these things that we've discussed in the last podcast and this one. They get to this place and. And you would think, oh, we've made it. We've arrived, and now we can finally freely worship God and carry on the work he has for us. Well, Bradford writes, being now coming to the Low countries, that's what Holland and Zealand, those areas were called, because they were at, the elevation was very low. And in fact, you know, the Dutch people built these windmills to pump water out. They pushed back, fought the sea and built dikes and. And rescued kind of about half their country almost from the flood land. Being now coming to the Low Countries, they saw many goodly and fortified cities, strongly walled and guarded with troops of armed men. Also they heard a strange and uncouth language and beheld the different manners and customs of the people with their strange fashions and attires, all so far differing from that of their playing country villages wherein they were bred and had so long lived as it seemed they were, come into a new world. But these were not the things they much looked on or long took up their thoughts, for they had other work in hand and another kind of war to wage and maintain. For although they saw fair and beautiful cities flowing with abundance of all sorts of wealth and riches, yet it was not long before they saw the grim and grisly face of poverty coming upon them like an armed man with whom they must buckle and encounter and from whom they could not fly. But they were armed with faith and patience against him and withal and all his encounters. And though they were sometimes foiled, yet by God's assistance, they prevailed and got the victory.

Bradford writes about the hardships faced by Christian pilgrims after arrival in Holland

So here they get to Holland. But great. They face great hardship, great economic difficulties of just, making a living, getting enough food to eat. And they saw that grim and grisly face of poverty come upon them like an armed man, but they were armed with faith and patience against him in all his encounters. And though they were sometimes foiled, yet by God's assistance they prevailed and got the victory. Bradford goes on and writes, and when they had lived at Amsterdam about a year, that was the first city they went to. They removed to Leyden, a fair and beautiful city, and of a sweet situation, but made more famous by the university wherewith it is adorned, and which of late had been so many learned men. And first, though many of them were poor, yet there was none so poor. But if they were known to be of that congregation, the Dutch, either bakers or others, would trust them in any reasonable manner when they wanted money, because they had found by experience how careful they were to keep their word, and saw them so painful and diligent in their callings. And, yea, they would strive to get their custom and to employ them above others in their work for their honesty and diligence. What a great example of what Christians should be. You know, as Christians, we should be the best workers there are. We should have businesses seek us out and say, I want to hire you. Why? Because you're honest, you're excellent in your work, you're diligent. We know that you're going to do the very best job possible. And so this should be the testimony of Christians today as it was for these, Christian pilgrims in regards to those wanting to employ individuals. Well, Bradford goes on to write under the heading showing the reasons and causes of their removal after they had lived in this city, Leiden, Holland, about some 11 or 12 years, which is the more observable being the whole time of that famous truce between that state and the Spaniards. As I mentioned, in the previous podcast, that Spain and, Holland and Zeeland, these Dutch settlements areas had been at war for really decades. And they entered into a truce. And it was during that truce, there was relative freedom in, in Holland. That's why the pilgrims decided to go there. And so what was beginning to take place a year, about a year they lived in Amsterdam. About 11 or 12 years they lived in Leiden. but then they began to think, you know, you know, one, it looked like these, these political affairs, that fighting might start again. And that was one, one thing that they began to think about in regards to deciding to. Some of them to leave Holland and go start a new colony. That was one thing. And then back to Bradford, and sundry of them were taken away by death. And many others began to be, well, stricken in years. The grave mistress of experience, having Taught them many things. Those prudent governors, with sundry of their sagest members, began both deeply to apprehend their present dangers and wisely to foresee the future and think of timely remedy in the agitation of their thoughts and much discourse of things hereabout. At length they began to incline to this conclusion of removal to some other place, not out of any newfangledness or other such like giddy humor, by which men were oftentimes transported to their great hurt and danger, but for sundry, weighty and solid reasons, some of the chief of which I will hear briefly describe. So what Bradford writes about, they began to think their leaders. Hey, we. We might need to leave and go. Go somewhere else. And he then gives, here's the reasons why this is why that they believe that the. They should or some of them, go somewhere else, Bradford writes. And first they saw and found by experience the hardness of the place and country to be such as few in comparison would come to them and fewer that would bide it out and continue with them. Yea, some preferred and chose the prisons in England rather than this liberty in Holland with these afflictions. But it was thought that if a better and easier place of living could be had, it would draw many and take away these discouragements. Now, think about this. You know, textbooks today might say, well, the pilgrims came to the new world for religious and economic reasons. Well, that's true, but their economic reasons were really, you might say religious reason. That's what he's saying here. See, the. The economic condition in Holland was so difficult. They had to labor so diligent, so hard that many of them, their backs were being bent, you know, their. Their bodies were becoming decrepit from the amount of labor that was necessary to exert in order to m. Make, you know, provide for their basic needs. In fact, some in England thought, hey, we want to flee to Holland, too. It's. We want to be with our brother, and it's more freely a place where we can more freely worsh worship God. But they said some preferred and chose the prisons in England. They weren't going to deny the face. So they were tossed in jail. If they didn't follow the established church. They chose the prisons in England rather than liberty in Holland. Said, man, it's so hard in Holland. We can't endure it. We'll just stay here, and we're not going to deny God. They'll toss us in jail. But that to them thought easier. So the pilgrims in Holland said, look, if we can go find A place that was economically more prosperous, where people could labor and benefit from the fruit of their labor, then many of our brethren might come, come and settle with us. So that was their economic reason. Secondly, as Bradford writes, they saw that though the people generally bore all of these difficulties very cheerfully and with a resolute courage, being in the best and strength of their years, yet old age began to steal on many of them, and their great and continual labors with other crosses and sorrows hastened it before the time. The second reason, it was so difficult economically, and they had to labor so hard that people were, being broken down, becoming decrepit. their bodies began to age much more than their physical age was. So they said, it's another reason we need to find a better place to live. Thirdly, Bradford writes, many of their children, by these occasions and the great licentiousness of youth in that country and the manifold temptations of the place, were drawn away by evil examples into extravagant and dangerous courses, getting the reins off their necks and departing from their parents. Some became soldiers, others took upon them far voyages by sea, and others, some worse courses, tending to dissoluteness and the danger of their souls to the great grief of their parents and dishonor of God, so that they saw their posterity would be in danger to degenerate and be corrupted. So a third reason they saw what the children are being led astray, some of them, by the bad example, by temptations that came their way. And so they said, we want a place where it would be ideal to raise godly children. That was a third reason. And then fourth lastly, which was not least, a great hope and inward zeal they had of laying some good foundation, or at least to make some way thereunto for the propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world, yea though they should be, but even as stepping stones into others for the performing of so great a work. So, as Bradford said last, and which was certainly not least, they wanted to go and propagate the gospel, advance the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts, because they were deciding, we're going to remove to those new lands. In 1607, Jamestown was planted as the first permanent English settlement. That was the new lands. And so the first years they had difficult time. But by the time you're getting approaching 1619, 1620 at this time, they're thinking about that. It was established well enough that, they were thinking, well, we'll go and, get permission, get A charter to settle in the north part of Virginia, not too close to Jamestown. They didn't want to be under their influence and governance or, religious faith, but they wanted to be close enough where they could get aid and assistance if need be. And as the charter of Virginia that Jamestown was settled under specifically mentioned, they came to propagate the gospel to those, those natives who lived here who were living in miserable ignorance and the true knowledge of worship of God, as that says. And so they wanted to do the same. They came to propagate and advance the gospel of the kingdom of Christ, that they should be but stepping stones into the others, performing of so great a work. So there's the reasons, Bradford gives of why these. Some of these people said, we're going to seek to start a new settlement in the New World. Bradford writes, these and some other like reasons move them to undertake this resolution of their removal. The which they afterwards prosecuted with so great difficulties is by the sequel will appear.

Holland wanted to establish a colony in the New World

So they begin, here's the vision. We want to go to the New World, start a colony. But as you can imagine, they underwent a whole lot of difficulty to see that accomplished. Now Bradford goes on to write, the place they had thoughts on was some of those vast and unpeopled countries of America which are fruitful and fit for habitation, being devoid of all civil inhabitants, where there are only savage and brutish men, which range up and down little otherwise than the wild beasts of the same. This proposition being made public and coming to the scanning of all, it raised many variable opinions amongst men and caused many fears and doubts amongst themselves. For there they should be liable to famine and nakedness, and the want, in a manner of all things. The change of air, diet, and drinking of water would infect their bodies with sore sickness and grievous diseases. And also those which should escape or overcome these difficulties should yet be in continual danger of the savage people, who are cruel, barbarous, and most treacherous, being most furious in their rage and merciless, where they overcome, not being content only to kill and take away life, but delight to torment men in the most bloody manner. They may be slaying some alive with the shells of fishes, cutting off the members and joints of others by piecemeal and broil coals, eat the collops of their flesh in their sight, whilst they live with other cruelties horrible to be related. So, of course, Bradford one. Before going, they had heard of all these things, and read of different accounts and encounters that some of the Europeans had with the natives who lived there. And some of them. Some of the natives were peaceful. Some of the natives were cannibals, like the Caribs that Columbus had run into. We talked about that in an earlier podcast. And so they were looking around, okay, there's a lot of difficulties we're going to face if we go to the New World. We're going to. There's liable to famine and sickness and nakedness. They knew, you know, nine tenths of the. Those at Jamestown died one winter, 1609 and 1610, and they knew that they might have very difficult encounter with the natives that live there as well. Because these native. They called them savages because they'd not come under civilizing influence of the. Of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because it's Christianity that civilizes individuals before Christianity comes into a culture, into a people. They're. They're wild, they're savage to various degrees. But it's Christianity that brings civility and all of the fruit of the spirit that, is naturally a part of the life of the redeemed, that they want to live in accordance with God's standards, but without that, people will live in all kinds of manner of savage behavior. And he's pointing out, that's enough of the difficulty. Well, Bradford goes on to write, and surely it could not be thought, but the very hearing of these things could not but move the very bowels of man. Men to grate within them and make the weak to quake and tremble. It was further objected that it would require greater sums of money to furnish such a voyage and to fit them with necessaries than their consumed estates would amount to. And yet they must as well look to be seconded with supplies as presently to be transported. So, one, all the difficulties they'd face. Two, we don't even have enough money. They said if we sold everything we have, we could not finance a trip to the New World to establish a colony. So that's a difficulty they'd have to overcome. Bradford writes also many precedents of ill success and lamentable miseries befallen others in the like designs were easy to be found and not forgotten to be alleged. So they knew of many people trying to do this, and they didn't succeed. So. So, that was also weighed upon them besides their own experience and their former troubles and hardships and their removal unto Holland, and how a hard thing it was for them to live in that strange place, though it was a neighbor country and a civil and rich commonwealth. So they had their own experience. We had a difficult enough time coming to Holland. But this is a civilization society influenced by the gospel. But it was still difficult. Bradford writes, it was answered that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties and must be both enterprised and overcome with answerable courages. It was granted. The dangers were great, but not desperate. The difficulties were many, but not invincible. For though there were many of them likely, yet they were not certain it might be sundry of the things feared might never befall others by provident care and the use of good means might in a great measure be prevented. And all of them, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might either be borne or overcome. So, as Bradford said, yes, there's potential many, many difficulties and dangers that we'll face, but it's not desperate. Difficulties may be many, but not invincible, and all of them, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might either be born or overcome. So they decided, okay, let's take the steps necessary to find a way to go and plant a new civil society, a new, place, a new city, a new dwelling for us. And so then Bradford, in his history has two chapters dealing with their difficult legal and economic preparation. They had to go. They had to get permission from the authorities in England who oversaw the settlements. Settlements in the new lands had to get their permission. They had to enlist some businessmen who had financed their voyage and work out the details of that. So that great difficulty then dealt with. Bradford goes on to write about of their departure from Leiden at length, after much travail and these debates, all things were got ready and provided. So being ready to depart, they had a day of solemn humiliation. Their pastor taking his text from Ezra8,21. And here is that text. And there at the river by Ahava, I proclaimed a fast that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek of him a right way for us and for our children and for all our substance, upon which he spent a good part of the day very profitably and suitably to their present occasion. The rest of the time was spent in pouring out prayers to the Lord with great fervency mixed with abundance of tears. So the day they left in the summer of 1620 to launch out to, the pilgrims had got a ship, a small little boat called the Speedwell. And they. That boat had come to Holland to pick them up. They were then going to sail to England to connect with another bigger ship, the Mayflower, and some other individuals, a group of people called strangers. These are people, the, the businessman who were by. Who were financing this voyage got some other Individuals from England to go with the Pilgrim Covenant congregations, about 50 pilgrims and about 50 strangers or so. we're gonna, ended up going. But there were more than that as well, as we will see initially. But, but the day. But when they left Holland, they proclaimed a day of prayer and fasting. Now if you go in the United States capital Rotunda today, there are eight large paintings. All eight of them have a Christian history. One of those is the embarkation of the Pilgrims from Holland. It depicts this incident that, that we just read about from Bradford. On that day they left Holland. They proclaim a day of prayer and fasting. And on that painting it shows them on the ship the Speedwell. In the center is William Brewster. He was an elder in their congregation, served as their pastor at the first part when they first came to Plymouth. And he has an open Bible on his lap. That would have been the Geneva Bible. That's a Bible produced by, English Protestants who had forced out of England through the reign of Bloody Mary. And they, they lived in the Geneva area. They produced a Bible, an English Bible called the Geneva Bible. And so William Brewster's holding that Bible. You can see John Robinson there in prayer, William Bradford and others. and the open Bible and the painting, it says the New Testament of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And up on the upper left hand sail is painted the words God with us, which marks well the whole lifestyle of these people called the parents of our republic. So they proclaimed the day of prayer and fasting, cried out to God, committing their endeavors into their hands. Bradford goes on to write.

John Robinson gave advice to Pilgrims as they left Holland for New World

So they left that goodly and pleasant city which had been their resting place near 12 years. But they knew they were pilgrims and looked not much on these things, but lift up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits. So as Bradford writes, they knew they were pilgrims. Now he's referencing Hebrews 11. It speaks of Pilgrims. Now they didn't refer to themselves as pilgrims like we do today. That name was applied later on to these group of separatists who, who were coming from Holland to start the Plymouth Colony. But they knew they were pilgrims and look not much on these things, but lift up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits. Now Bradford goes on and writes at their party, Mr. Robinson, write a letter to the whole company. Now, John Robinson was the pastor of the Pilgrims. He had been their pastor in Scrooby area. And when they came to Holland, he served as their pastor for those 12 years. Or so that they had been there. And Mr. Robinson was pastor. Robinson was not traveling with them because at the time, their church there in Leiden, Holland, had grown to about 300 people. And only about 50 or so of them were going to start this new colony. So he felt he needed to stay with the majority of the congregation. That's why William Brewster served as their pastor initially there in the New World. But while he was not going, Mr. Robinson still was going to continue to instruct and educate them as he had been doing for years and years, teaching them biblical theology, biblical worldview, how to reason from the Bible to all of life. And so he wrote him a letter which, though it hath already been printed, Bradford writes, yet I thought good here likewise to insert it. So I'm going to read just a little excerpt from the letter to show you the type of, teaching that Robinson had been giving them. Loving Christian friends, I do heartily and in the Lord salute you all. and first, as we are daily to renew our repentance with our God, especially for our sins known, and generally for our unknown trespasses, sin being taken away by earnest repentance and the pardon thereof from the Lord, sealed up into a man's conscience by his Spirit. Great shall be his security and peace in all dangers. Sweet his comforts in all distresses, with happy deliverance from all evil, whether in life or in death. So the first piece of advice their pastor gave them, as they're getting ready to go around, you know, thousands of miles away, it's doubtful they realize probably never see you again. But I want to give you some advice. The first thing he said. Daily renew your repentance with God, especially for our sins known and generally for all unknown trespasses. So repent, cry out to God, keep your life right with him. And then he gave some other advice that you can pick up a copy of that out, ah, Plymouth Plantation, and read all the advice. But, But lastly, I'm giving this last piece of advice Robinson gave. Lastly. Whereas you are become a body politic, using amongst yourselves civil government, and are not furnished with any persons of special eminency above the rest to be chosen by you into office of government, let your wisdom and godliness appear not only in choosing such persons as do entirely love and will promote the common good, but, but also in yielding unto them all due honour and obedience in their lawful administrations, not beholding in them the ordinariness of their persons, but God's ordinance for your good, not being like the foolish multitude who more honor the gay coat than either the virtuous mind of the man or glorious ordinance of the Lord. So here it is. He's giving advice. Look, you are becoming or will become and have become a body politic. In other words, he knew when you go to the new world, you're going to have to set up government amongst yourselves, civil government. And you need to realize that when you do so, there's no anointed person in the sense that the divine right of kings was this idea that developed in Europe that certain people are divinely ordained by God to rule and that what they say is the word of God in their sphere of responsibilities, that there's only special persons who can govern in this manner. But he said, look, you know, you're not furnished with any persons of special eminency above the rest to be chosen by you into office for your government. So you're going to choose your leaders. And when you do, let your wisdom and godliness appear not only in choosing such persons that love and promote the common good, but yield them honor and obedience. So you're going to, through your Christian self government, choose leaders who will represent God in the seat of government and that you then obey and honor them, not beholding in them the ordinariness of their persons, but God's ordinance for your good. So when you put them in place, they're not special in themselves, but God does anoint, the office of civil government, if you will. It's an ordinance of God. It's a ministry of God. Romans 13 tells us that civil leaders are ministers of God to you for good. So they do stand in the place of administering God's justice. You need to look at them that way. But, but many people, godly people can meet the qualifications for godly officials as laid out in the bible in Exodus 18 and Deuteronomy 1, where God followed. Where Moses is following the biblical advice of his father in law, Jethro, saying to tell the people to choose from among yourselves rulers of tens, hundreds, fifties, thousands. And he gave qualifications for those that they were to choose. Those that fear God, hate, dishonest game, that have knowledge of truth. Basically three qualifications of godly officials in those passages of Scripture is to fear God, have Christian character and have a biblical worldview. All three of those are necessary. And that's really what John Robinson is saying here. You know, some people, some Christians, have the idea that God doesn't want us involved in civil government. It's dirty and ugly. And we need to be about the work of you know, just converting individuals, getting souls saved. That's really the, work God's called us to, you know, leave the government up to someone else. Well, there's a lot of things I say when people bring that up, but I, but think of the pilgrims one, there wasn't anyone else to look to. You know, we're a covenant group of people and we're going to be governing our, ourselves. So we can't abandon civil government. We're going to get some of the, you know, natives who don't know God or truth at all and put them, you know, over us like the bramble bush, in the book of Judges, the trees went and got the bramble bush to rule over them. not at all. So he's giving them advice in civil arena. And this is Mr. Robinson. He taught biblical review, he taught theology, taught right relationship with God, keep, your heart clear. But he also taught biblical worldview of how to govern and economic principles. As we'll see in future, future, podcasts, we'll talk about them embracing biblical economic system. And then finally, John Robinson. Closes. I do earnestly commend into your care and conscience, joining therewith my daily incessant prayers unto the Lord, that he who hath made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all rivers of waters, and whose providence is over all his works, especially over all his dear children, for good would so guide and guard you in your ways, John Robinson. And so he sent this letter with them, giving them some last godly advice as they, they launched out to start a new civil society, as we will see. Well, we're going to pick up that story from where we left it off in the next podcast because now they began to prepare and begin to launch out and we're going to learn all the things that they continued to go through and, the struggle to give birth and plant the seed to be as stepping stones that many others followed, after them. So I hope you can join us next week in our next America's Providential history podcast, where we continue the story of our pilgrim forefathers. In the words of the governor of the Pilgrim for pilgrims for 33 years, William Bradford, getting a firsthand account and looking in the life and the thinking and what these people went through, the price they paid to plant the seed that we benefit from today, that the seed of liberty that we still, that we have within this nation. The pilgrims were some of those. There are many others that came. But they were a seed, good seed that was planted in this soil, that produced good fruit over the generations. So hope you can join us next week. If you want to learn more about the Providence foundation, Visit our website, providencefoundation.com pick up some of our books. We've got lots of articles to read, many videos to take a look at as well. We've got articles on the pilgrims there that you. You can look at, and an article on why we celebrate Thanksgiving, which we'll be talking about here in a future podcast. So, I hope to have you join us next week. God bless you.