Pilgrims #1

-by matt

In the book "Of Plymouth Plantation", William Bradford documents the history of the people we call "the Pilgrims". William Bradford was the governor of Plymouth for many years. He had been with the group from the beginning. In his introduction to the book, he provides the background as to why he and his group left England. Depending upon when you went to public school, your education about the Pilgrims may have varied. As I recall, there were some "religious persecutions" and the Pilgrims came to America to be free. This is sort of right. Below is an excerpt from the book with the original spellings.

This portion lays out the beginning of things. I doubt that many of us are as serious about the Word of God as they were. If you can parse the language you should be shocked or offended or both.

"But that I may come more near my intendmente; whell as by the travell and diligente of some godly and zealous preachers, and Gods blessing on their labours, as in other places of the land, so in the North parts, many became inlightened by the word of God, and had their ignorante and sins discovered unto them, and begane by his grace to reforme their lives, and make consciente of their wayes, the worke of God was no sooner manifest in them, but presently they were both scoffed and scorned by the prophane multitude, and the ministers urged with the yoak of subscription, or ele must be silenced; and the poore people were so vexed with apparators, and pursuants,and the comissarie courts, as truly their affIiction was not smale; which, notwithstanding, they bore sundrie years with much patience, till they were occasioned (by the continuance and enerease of these troubls, and other means which the Lord raised up in those days) to see further into things by the light of the word of God. How not only these base and beggerly ceremonies were unlawfull, but aleo that the lordly and tiranous power of the prelats ought not to be submitted unto; which thus, contrary to the freedome of the gospell, would load and burden mens consciences, and by their compulsive power make a prophane mixture of persone and things in the worship of God. And that their offlces and calings, courts and cannons, etc. were unlawfull and antichristian; being such as have no warrante in the word of God; but the same that were used in poperie, and still retained."

Full text here.