My fellow pastors have asked me to give a little lesson this morning from church history from either someone or some event from church history. And so as I contemplated that and also in the light of many other realities and pressures, I am doing that this morning and it may be, if they permit, I may be bringing part two next Lord's Day because today I would like to give a brief history of the pilgrims. And of course, this is a very appropriate subject in the light of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday that's fast approaching. And we have this opportunity then to learn a little bit about the pilgrims who left Europe and settled in America many years ago. And I realize that many of you here are familiar with the pilgrims. and their history, but there are some probably present who do not know much about the pilgrims, and there are, of course, many who have misunderstandings about who the pilgrims were, what they did, et cetera. So, the adult pilgrims were all earnest, professing Christians, and their faith and their lives are worthy of our imitation insofar that they followed the scriptures themselves. But let's begin in this class with the historical background to the pilgrims. To understand who they were, we must begin by learning about a group of people in England who were called the Separatists. Sounds very political, but it wasn't. Sounds very negative, but it wasn't really intended to be that way. In the late 1500s and the early 1600s, these separatists were genuine Christians who largely agreed with the doctrines and the practices, the teachings of the majority of the Puritans in England. But who were the Puritans? The Puritans initially were Christians who prayed and worked to purify the Anglican Church, or the Church of England, or in church history sometimes it's called the Established Church, because it was established by parliamentary law. So the Anglican Church, the Church of England, the established church, they're all the same body, the same organization, the Church of England. And the Puritans were those Christians who wanted to purify the Church of England so that it would be conformed to the scriptures. But with the passing of time, the term Puritan was broadly applied to those Christians who were determined to be obedient to the teachings of the Bible in every area of life, whether they were part of the Church of England or not. The separatists were called that because they separated themselves from the Anglican Church, the Church of England. And that separatist group included Presbyterians, it included Congregationalists, and it included Baptists. And these separatists were often persecuted, imprisoned, and even executed. by the civil authorities of England at that time and authorities within the Church of England. Now, that history may seem incredulous to us today, but the truth is that our Baptist forefathers in England were often greatly persecuted. not only because they were separatists, but also because they were Baptists. Well, in an attempt to slow the growth of the number of separatists in England, a law was passed by Parliament in April 1593, which required that everyone aged 16 or older was to attend their local Anglican church. And again, to us as Americans, this seems very strange, as we have what we call the separation of church and state. But that was not so at this time period. And frankly, to this present time, the official, I'm not sure if I know what the correct term is, but the official leader of the Church of England is actually the monarch. presently King Charles. They do have an archbishop. But ultimately, I believe, I believe it's still true. Peter Slomski can correct me if I'm wrong. But I believe the king is actually officially at least the head of the Church of England. So in this attempt, a law was passed by Parliament in April 1593 that required everyone aged 16 or older to attend the local Anglican Church, and failure to worship in services of the local Anglican Church for a period of one month could mean imprisonment. And after release from prison, if such an individual continued to absent himself from the worship services of the local Anglican Church, he would be given a choice, either exile or imprisonment again, or even death. Both the Anglican Church and the civil government were more than happy to have such individuals leave the country because the separatists were sort of a spiritual thorn in their side. So by the end of 1604, King James I of England had also mandated that all ministers within the Church of England must completely conform to the Anglican Church's 39 articles, the Book of Common Prayer, and its entire liturgy. By this time, it seemed to many that the Church of England was now beyond hope of being reformed or purified, and therefore many thought separation was necessary, and even departure from England. And so at this time, many of the separatists were actually, according to one Christian biographer, they were hunted and persecuted on every side until their former afflictions were but as flea bites in comparison. Some were clapped into prison, others had their houses watched night and day and escaped with difficulty. and most were obliged to fly and leave their homes and means of livelihood." Now that was written by a Christian who was living at that time period, not a modern Christian. Because of these difficulties, these challenges, persecutions, many separatists immigrated to Holland, where it was believed that they would obtain religious liberties for which they longed. And it's natural for us today to ask the question, why did they go to Holland? What attracted the separatists in England to go to Holland? Well, They were motivated by various matters, several factors. Holland was geographically close to England, about 200 miles across the English Channel. Holland had many churches which were reformed in doctrine, and the majority of the separatists were reformed in their doctrinal beliefs. Holland had an official policy of religious toleration in the late 1500s, and Holland was at that time very prosperous. But there were several challenges to such a migration from England to Holland. The country of Holland was unfamiliar to the English, The language, of course, was very different from English, and the Dutch culture and society was also very different from the English culture and society. And also, the English separatists were primarily farmers. not exclusively, whereas many of the Dutch were merchants. Again, there would have been farmers, of course, in Holland, but there was that added factor. But notwithstanding these challenges, one particular separatist congregation decided to leave England in its entirety for Holland, and that was the congregation pastored by Reverend John Robinson. And so our focus will be upon that specific group of separatists. So now secondly, consider migration from England to Holland in 1607 and 1608. John Robinson and about 100 members of his congregation were determined to leave England and settle in Holland. Why? Well, you should have already understood that from what I've already said, but just to underscore, they were determined to be in a place where they could worship God according to the scriptures and maintain a good conscience before God. Many difficulties and hardships confronted them in their move from central England to Holland, which, unbeknownst to them at the time, prepared them, by degrees, for an even greater hardship in the future. And initially, these Christians settled in Amsterdam, Holland, where other separatists from England had already settled themselves. But due to some serious doctrinal practical differences with the leaders of the separatists in the city of Amsterdam, which I don't need to go into, Pastor Robinson and his flock moved to the city of Leiden, Holland, about 30 miles away from Amsterdam. William Bradford, who would later become a governor of the pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, wrote an extensive history of these separatists, and he recorded the following regarding their time in Holland. So here I quote William Bradford. After numerous difficulties, they continued many years in good circumstances, enjoying together much sweet and delightful fellowship and spiritual comfort in the ways of God. Under the able ministry and prudent government of Mr. Robinson, the pastor, and Mr. Brewster, another pastor. They grew in knowledge and other gifts and graces of the Spirit of God and lived together in peace and love and holiness. And many came to them from different parts of England so that there grew up a great congregation. And that's the end of the quote. Therein lied in Holland. So the people of this specific congregation, they lived in Holland for about 12 years. and the Lord prospered them spiritually and practically so that they gained a good reputation among the Dutch. But these were not easy years, these 12 years within the Dutch Republic, for these were also the years of civil strife in Holland surrounding the disputes between the Armenians and the Calvinists in Holland. And the University of Leiden, was a hotbed of this theological controversy, the very city in which this specific group of English separatists lived. So Reverend Robinson, who was a Calvinist, went to hear many of these public disputes presented by both the supporters of Arminianism and the supporters of Calvinism. And having a very keen mind, Robinson was able to defend the biblical and Calvinistic teachings regarding the doctrine of salvation, and he became well-known, enlightened. So that's the migration to Holland in 1607, 1608. But now let's consider difficulties, discussions, and decisions. Although life in the Dutch Republic was much better than that in England, from a church and worship perspective, there were other concerns which were developing in the minds and the hearts of these separatist brethren. The pastors of this Leiden congregation, Robinson and Brewster, were becoming increasingly concerned about several matters. First of all, the hardships of the people of God were numerous and discouraging. The people were very grateful for their freedom to worship God according to the scriptures, but they had difficult lives financially and socially and politically. And these multifaceted hardships were not a secret. And the news of these hardships spread back to England among their friends, other separatists. And many additional separatists would have left England and joined them in Holland if their living circumstances in Holland were different and better. So many of these separatist Christians in England believed they might as well suffer in England. with which they were familiar, rather than go to Holland and suffer there in a totally new and unfamiliar land. So because of these external temporal difficulties, many in Holland began to question whether there was a more suitable place in which they could settle. a place that would be better for the majority, a place that would attract others to join them from among those persecuted in England. So there were hardships of the people of God there in Holland, numerous and discouraging, but now there were difficulties in Holland which affected their children. So out of necessity, many of the children of these separatists had to work They were young, and they had to work in situations which were very inappropriate for their ages. And they had to work because of the financial difficulties in Holland. Their parents were also, of course, working. But because of all of the financial pressures, their children had to work. In addition, there were the evil influences of the young people of the city of Leiden and very sinful lifestyles of many. Of course, that doesn't mean that it didn't happen back in England, but it was very pronounced to them living there in Leiden, Holland. But a third matter was the people, they're enlightened, these separatists, had a very fervent missionary zeal for the spread of the gospel. Of course, that was true just generally of many of the Puritans, perhaps I could say all of them, but certainly many of the Puritans had a missionary zeal, and these separatists also had a missionary zeal for the spread of the gospel. So they had prayed for the advance of the gospel in the kingdom of Christ and other parts of the world where it was yet unknown or little known. And the Dutch Republic was not a country devoid of the gospel. The gospel was known in Holland. It had, by and large, taken root in Holland. And the English separatists understood that the gospel was still needed there in Holland. That should be obvious from the things I've already said about the difficulties with children living licentious lives amongst those of the Dutch. So they understood that the gospel was still needed in Holland. But there were expanses of the New World, as it was called, to the West, and countries to the Far East that were now opening up to exploration and settlement in which the gospel was really totally unknown. And just as an aside, when you think of the Far East, we need to continue to pray that God would cause his gospel to spread in the Far East. Speaking to a sister here in the church just a couple of days ago, who is from the Far East, She said that her grandmother, who's now visiting in America, has never, ever heard any Bible truth. None. So this sister here from our congregation is planning to speak to her grandmother the gospel. So it's still a reality. So going back to this history, these men and women, these Christians, began to fix their thoughts upon immigrating to the vast lands of America. And their numerous difficulties as well as their zeal led them to have many discussions among themselves and with their pastors. How should we address these concerns and burdens? And such discussions actually stirred up fresh difficulties among them because not everyone was in favor of such a drastic move to America. That's understandable if you think about it. Some were fearful of such a change. Some were aware there were many uncertainties attached to such a drastic move to the new world. And others were older saints, men and women, who did not think that they could make such a journey. and there were many questions about the possible miseries in the new world and difficulties that would await them there. They were realistic. What about shelter? What about clothing? What about food? What about diseases? What about our distance from our families who remain back in Europe, whether England or Holland? And there was the real possibility of the unknown of those natives who live in the new world. What will they do? And there was the hard, cold reality that great sums of money would be required to prepare for and undertake such a journey. And so, brethren, you see, in one sense there's nothing new, in one sense. We should have a burden to spread the gospel to other parts of the world where it is not yet known. Here in America, the gospel is known. But here in America, honestly, more and more people don't know the gospel. So this is not a call for all of us to say we're going to leave New Jersey and move to the Amazon jungle in Brazil. No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying we need to see there's nothing new. This history really, we can relate to it. There's a need for the gospel to still spread to parts of the world where it is not yet known. There are many questions to be asked and matters to be addressed in such an effort to spread the gospel elsewhere. And of course, it always requires money. So, but life was presently difficult for the separatists in the Dutch Republic. And so they still had these discussions, and they received instruction from their pastors, and they prayed as a congregation. They were asking God to direct through his word, by his spirit, through wise counsel, is such a change necessary, really? Is such a change right, really? but they came to the conclusion that they needed to move, many of them, from Holland to the New World, especially in the light of the need to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. So the leaders in the church noted, and here I quote them once again, this is very interesting, very encouraging, that at that time the leaders of the church, they noted this about these difficulties, discussions, prayer, challenges. They noted that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties. That's a quote. I have more to say, more to read from the quote, but just think of that. All great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties and must be both met and overcome with answerable courage. For many of the things feared in life might never occur. I mean, isn't that true? You get fears, fearful about something that's in the future, maybe a week down the road, a month down the road, maybe several months down the road, and sometimes our fears never materialize. For many of the things feared in life might never occur. Others, by providential 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 born, carried, or overcome. You see, these men were very knowledgeable of the scriptures, knowledgeable of biblical history, great knowledge of their hearts. All of them, all of these troubles, all of these obstacles, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might be either borne, carried, or overcome. And then they continue, I continue the quote. But, of course, their condition in Holland was not ordinary. Their ends were good and honorable, their calling lawful and urgent, and therefore they might expect the blessing of God on their proceedings." End quote. The majority of these separatists ultimately decided to undertake the journey to the new world of America for the sake of the spread of the gospel, as I've already said, for the freedom to worship God according to the word of God and their consciences instructed by the word of God. It's a very crucial historical reality. They wanted to be able to worship God according to the teachings of the scriptures, not man-made traditions, not according to political direction. And they wanted to do so, this journey for the sake of the spiritual well-being of themselves and their families. So William Bradford, who, as I've already stated, later became governor of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, recorded that these dear Christian men and women, here I quote Bradford, they cherished a great hope and inward zeal of laying a good foundation, or at least making some way towards a good foundation in the new world for the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the remote parts of the world. even if they should be but stepping stones to others in such performance of so great a work." So they didn't have this grandiose idea that, yes, we're going to be the ones who will conquer the new world with the gospel. They wanted to see the gospel spread in the new world, but they thought, we might just be little stepping stones to the advancement of the gospel in the new world, and that's fine. And we need to understand that most of us will never become great and famous. Maybe none of us will become great and famous. But we can indeed, in our sphere of life, advance the gospel. We can be little stepping stones for the spread of the gospel in this world. So the pastors of this dear flock of God in Leiden, Holland, pastors Robinson and Brewster, they soberly assessed the people of their congregation and they judged that such an undertaking was not foolish. First and foremost, they believed that the Lord was truly with them. But then also, because of their experience of leaving England and living in Holland, they believed, the pastors, that the people were already accustomed to the difficulties of living in a foreign land. Now, my own opinion is that was a bit naive. Holland is a foreign land compared to England, but the New World was the New World. Still, that's what they thought. Very importantly, most of the members of the church were industrious. They were frugal in their callings and their lives. The people had also covenanted together in a holy bond of love and faithfulness one to the other. They had a deep, sincere desire for the good of others. And through many trials, they had already learned, in large measure, to be content. So it wasn't discontentment in their hearts that was causing them, there in Leiden, Holland, to say, let's leave Holland and go to the new world. Discontentment is a sin. But generally speaking, it was not discontentment with these Christians there in Holland that was causing them to think along these lines and then with their pastors pray and decide along these lines. No, they had already learned to be content. But they also wanted to seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God, and that was their priority. So, at this point, having decided to depart from the Dutch Republic, the question was then raised. So where should we settle in the new world? And some suggested, I don't know if Cedric knows this or Jen knows this, some suggested Guyana. In the northern region of South America, it was a British colony. But after many discussions, they ruled out going to Guyana because of its climate and because of its proximity to many Spanish colonies. So the English colony of Virginia was regarded as far more suitable. But the question was raised, would they be granted religious freedom in Virginia? That was debated, discussed, and also doubted. So we have the historical background of the pilgrims, their migration to Holland in 1607-1608, their difficulties, discussions and decisions there in Holland, and now fourthly, preparations for departure from the Dutch Republic. Preparations for departure. from the Dutch Republic. So the separatists in Leiden were not without friends of influence in England, and therefore they sent two of their numbers back to England to investigate the feasibility of settling in Virginia and to then report their findings to the congregation in Holland. And so this meant, first of all, that the church's representatives had to inquire of the governors of the Virginia Company of London whether they would be allowed to settle in the colony of Virginia. So this is historical realities that seem strange to us today. But there was a company, the Virginia Company of London, headquartered in London. It was a body of stockholders who purposed to earn money through the sale of land and the establishment of businesses in the colony of Virginia. and the company was ruled by a board of officers, but it was also subordinate to the king regarding affairs in Virginia. But secondly, the Leiden Church's representatives had to ascertain if they could obtain official permission by the king to exercise their Christian liberty to worship God within the colony of Virginia. Well, to settle in Virginia was clearly and readily approved by the governors of the Virginia Company, because of course they wanted money. To obtain official governmental permission for religious freedom, or even religious toleration within the colony of Virginia, was found to not be possible at all. That report did not surprise these Christians, the separatist congregation in Leiden, Holland. They actually expected they would hear that. It disheartened them temporarily, but the pastors and the people in the church in Holland prayed and then weighed this specific matter. And after prayer and deliberation, they concluded that even official governmental approval from the king himself for the right of religious freedom, that could be easily revoked. So does it really matter? Now again, there's many questions you might raise in the light of all that I've just said. I'm not addressing everything. I'm skipping over some matters. But I would like to say that these Christian men and women from Leiden, they were not rebels against the king or his government. They were not seditious or disloyal from everything I've read. I'm sure they understood the truths of Romans 13, 1 and 2, that every soul be in subjection to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God. But they also understood from the scriptures the biblical principles which were later articulated, not at this time, but later articulated in the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Savoy, the London Baptist Confession of Faith, namely that God alone is Lord of the conscience and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his word or not contained in it. So again, that was written later. But these Christians understood these basic biblical truths. So the question at hand for these Christians was not the matter of paying taxes to the king. It's not a matter of being disloyal to the king. Again, they would have been very familiar with the Lord Jesus Christ teaching that they were to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's. The king and parliament could enact laws regarding collecting taxes and a host of other things, but these Christians firmly believed from the scriptures that the king and parliament had no biblical authority to dictate or legislate how Christians were to worship God. God alone has this prerogative. And they therefore determined that they would immigrate to Virginia and trust to God's providence for the outcome as they had done in other things. And that's actually a quote from Bradford again. They committed themselves to trust to God's providence for the outcome as they had done in other things. So after many days and many delays, a patent or an official permission was granted to the congregation of Leiden to immigrate to Virginia and establish a settlement there within the jurisdiction of Jamestown, Virginia. And there was great rejoicing among the Christians there in the church in Leiden, Holland at that news. However, as the unfolding of events would subsequently show, this specific patent, which was acquired through the expenditure of significant labor, time, and expense, would ultimately prove to be of no value. Because you all know that they didn't land in Virginia. I hope you know that. They did not land in Virginia. Commenting upon this strange reality years later, Bradford noted about this strange reality. We have the permission to go to the colony of Virginia. They didn't end up going to the colony of Virginia. Years later, Bradford wrote, and this matter of the patent is a true emblem of the uncertain things of this world. which, when men have toiled to acquire them, vanish into smoke. Now, of course, Bradford was not saying that we shouldn't labor about the things of this world. He's just saying we see how transient things are and how uncertain things are in this world. Well, for the congregation in Leiden, it was plain that not everyone would be able to travel to England and then onward to America for various reasons. I've already mentioned some were aged people. The majority were preparing to leave Holland. But various providences and practical matters prevented some of them from doing so. That's a whole other topic. And furthermore, even if everyone there in Holland was ready and able to travel to the New World at that time, clearly not everyone would be able to travel due to the size of the ships which crossed the Atlantic Ocean. So just think of this. I have flown an Airbus A380s from JFK to Dubai. And if you don't know what they look like, you can look them up online. Two complete levels on this huge monster plane that I think, depending on the configuration of the seats, can seat somewhere around 500 people or so. And after 14 hours from Kennedy, you arrive in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, halfway around the world. Well, the Mayflower ship was 110 feet long, 24 feet wide, transported a total of 130 people. And I don't remember, I don't have it here before me, how long it took them to travel from England to the New World, but it was not just 14 hours. So the size of the ship was a factor that, of course, limited who could actually leave. So due to these factors, most of the congregation would remain in Leiden, but many would subsequently follow them at a later date. And it was decided that Pastor Robinson would remain with the flock in Holland, and Pastor Brewster would travel onward to America. That's the end of part one. You have to wait. I have more things to say, but part two, if the pastors want me to do that, it's next Sunday. If it's not next Sunday, it might be in the future. But what are some practical lessons? We need to see that these men and women had convictions that were rooted in the Word of God. And surely that's what the world, and since we live in America, that's what America needs. The churches of the Lord Jesus Christ and our country itself need men and women of biblical convictions. Now I believe the vast majority of you here, maybe all of you, are men and women of biblical convictions. But what does that mean? It's easy to say that. What does that mean? It means that when you see from the Bible, this is the right course of action, it's very clear from the principles of the word of God, clear from the law of God, It's very clear, this is the right course of action. I go down that right course, even if I know it's going to be difficult. A lot of you here have had to do that in your life at different points in your life, where you've had to make the choice to go down this way because of biblical truth and convictions, even though it would be painful. That's what these pilgrims did. We need to do the same. Secondly, they loved the Word of God. And I ask the question, do you love the Word of God? And by loving the Word of God, of course, that means you should be loving the Lord Jesus Christ. So I ask that question, do you love the Word of God and do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? And really the two are inseparable. These pilgrims, they loved the Lord Jesus Christ, and they loved the Word of God, and therefore they wanted to worship God according to the teachings of the Scriptures, what we would call today the regulative principle of worship. Because at that time in the Church of England, There were matters that really many of the Puritans regarded it as more Roman Catholic than evangelical. So we need to uphold, as these pilgrims did, the worship of God according to the teaching of the Word of God. But another lesson is the sovereignty of God. God is in control of everything. Even in the matter that though they intended to go to the colony of Virginia and eventually do not end up in Virginia at all, God was in sovereign control of all of that. And you need to remember as a Christian, whatever is presently happening in your life, God is the one who's in total control. Nothing is a mistake. Nothing is luck. Nothing is, in that sense, chance. God is in control. These pilgrim Christians understood that God is sovereign over all. We need to remember that in our lives as well. We need to also see how these Christians loved one another. And it was a principled love. Of course, emotions are involved, but they had a love for one another, and they prayed for one another. And when you read their history, it's very clear that's what they did. They loved one another, they prayed for one another. That doesn't mean that they were all best friends, one with another. But they loved one another. And of course, their very name, Pilgrim, teaches us something very important. They were pilgrims. They were journeyers. They understood that this world was not their final resting place. Yes, obviously, they lived in this present world. They did a lot of practical things in this present world. They labored as farmers, many of them. did their work responsibly to earn money to pay for their needs of food and shelter and clothing, et cetera, but they understood this world was not their final resting place. And brethren, you are to enjoy the food that God gives you. God has given us all things richly to enjoy. It's not wrong, as I've said from this very pulpit on other occasions, it's not wrong according to the Bible for Christians to labor industriously and to become wealthy. Abraham was wealthy, Job was wealthy, King David certainly was wealthy as a king, so it's not wrong. But where is your heart? Are you a pilgrim in your heart, knowing that this world is not your final resting place? even though they knew they needed to go to the new world, their heart was not set upon the new world. It was the matter of having liberty of conscience to worship God according to the scriptures, having liberty of conscience in all matters according to the scriptures. That was the matter. Their hearts were not settled and rooted into this present age. So where's your heart? Is it rooted in this present age? The things of this world? The pleasures of this world? Or is your heart actually in heaven? Where is your heart? Are you a pilgrim like these Christians were? And we know from our Bibles that indeed we are to be pilgrims, that our final resting place is heaven, not this life. Well, those are some practical lessons for you this morning. And though I'm ending early, we are going to end early. And so let's close in prayer. Father, we ask that you would help each one of us as your people to be pilgrims here in this world, to be bright, shining lights of your Gospel truth to others, to live the Gospel, to trust in you with all of our hearts, even when we're in the midst of troubles, difficulties, pressures, disappointments. Lord, we pray that you would help us to trust in you and remember that you're in sovereign control of everything. And so, Father, prepare our hearts even for the worship service this morning. that we would lift up our hearts in worship to you as pilgrims, though living in this world, yet not being rooted firmly, finally in this world, but be pilgrims worshiping you, our God. and having a great, deep, increasing love for the Lord Jesus Christ and for your truth and for the spread of the gospel in the world, we come to you, our God, and ask that you would help us to learn from these pilgrims who went before us and are now in glory. We ask for these mercies in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ alone, amen.