Religious Motivation of the "Mayflower" Pilgrims

There is hardly another ship in modern times that has aroused as much curiosity and conjecture as the Mayflower, whose sixty-six-day crossing of the Atlantic be­longs to the epic past of colo­nial America. The memorable voyage in the fall of 1620 is part of our historic American folklore upon which many Americans look back with patriotic pride, especially if they can really prove that one of their ancestors was one of the passengers. Of course, everyone knows Will Rogers' wry remark that his ancestors did not come over on the Mayflower but were on the shore to welcome the Pilgrims.

The English have built the replica of the Mayflower in a dramatic good-will gesture. Captain Alan 'Villiers, the commander of the Mayflower II, reports that it was about time that the English do something to ex­press their gratitude for the common heri­tage which causes Britons and Americans to see eye to eye at times in ideas and purpose. It occurred to some Englishmen at this time that while the other countries had expressed their gratitude for Amer­ica's contribution—such as the French who gave the Statue of Liberty—England, from whom so much had come in the past, had at most sent a few exchange professors. Perhaps, also, it is in order to remind Americans that after all, their history has had its roots in England!

The duplicate of the Mayflower "right within a 16th of an inch" was built in Brixham harbor. If the seventeenth-century Pilgrims could have seen it, they would have recognized their Mayflower, ex­cept that it looked, of course, a lot better than the original. The repeat voyage of the Mayflower coincides with the celebration of the founding of Jamestown in 1607 as a result of the voyage of the Susan Con­stant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery. Jamestown was settled by merchants and adventurers, while the Separatists, who about the same time left England for Hol­land, went for religious reasons.

Beliefs of the Separatists

The Separatists of England, with whom the crossing of the Mayflower is so closely connected, had their beginning in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. They differed from the Puritans in that they would not con­form to the Anglican Church. They did not believe in simply "purifying" the State church from Romanism, and considered the Puritans to be as "vile" as the Angli­cans and the Catholics. As the Separatists went their own way under the leadership of Robert Browne, they were convinced that they could not in any way conform to the Anglican Church of State. They ad­vocated the separation of church and state, the formation of a congregational, or sep­arate type of independent church.

While the Separatists really did not be­lieve in the union of church and state, they were definitely interested in a sound form of government, and as far as they were concerned, the Geneva type of government would do. Sandys was quoted as saying, "If our God from heaven did constitute and direct a form of government, it is that of Geneva." Nonconformists in England under Elizabeth I, and later under James I, had stood their ground and obtained no­toriety by persecution and martyrdom. Three of their best leaders were executed as criminals in 1593, and many fled to Holland (Amsterdam) under the reign of Elizabeth I.

Under James I, John Smyth, a Cam­bridge man, founded a company of Separa­tists at Gainsborough. Among the small company at Scrooby Manor there were some of the later American Pilgrims, who became famous in the New as well as the Old World—William Brewster, William Bradford, and John Robinson. The latter was their pastor; Brewster was the only "gentleman" among the leaders. He had some university training without, however, ever graduating. Robinson led his flock to Leyden in Holland to escape persecu­tion under James I. There were Separatists from Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire.

The trip in 1608 from England to Hol­land through the North Sea was no small matter. During their voyage they experi­enced a "fearfull storme," which they were to remember twelve years hence when they definitely thought of leaving for the New World and crossing the uncharted Atlantic. "By a joynte consent they resolved to goe into ye Low Countries where they heard was freedome of Religion for all men." In Leyden the Separatists enjoyed indeed "much sweete and delightful societie and spiritual comforte." ² The Separatists were not persecuted in Leyden, and they even enjoyed a certain degree of prosperity. They bought a house in Leyden that was to serve as a meeting place.

Restless Exiles Desire New-World Haven

Although the Separatists seemed to live unmolested in a country that was itself torn by all kinds of religious controversies (particularly the Arminian question) and were immensely attracted by an ever-ex­panding colonial empire, they nevertheless found that conditions in Holland were not ideal. The members of the Leyden church became restless, as naturally an uprooted people would, as guests in a foreign land. There was no possibility for the advance­ment of the gospel as they saw it and as they had proclaimed it heretofore. Most of all, their children quickly assimilated a foreign language, as children will, but lacked a strong basic religious education.

Very interesting was the Separatists' at­titude toward the Sabbath. The contact of the young Separatists with the Dutch caused them to neglect and even corrupt the Sabbath-day worship. The elders of the Leyden church tried vainly to remedy the situation. Cotton Mather stated: "They could not, with ten years endeavor bring their neighbors particularly to any suit­able observance of the Lord's day, without which they knew that all practical religion must wither miserably." ' The Massachu­setts Colonial Records say that when they were in the New World the Massachusetts Bay Company particularly enjoined upon its colony at Salem that the people observe the Sabbath from three o'clock on Satur­day afternoon, spending the rest of the day in catechizing and making ready for the next day's proper observance.

The Separatists were neither willing to give up their religious convictions nor to live any longer outside their king's domain. They had strong opinions, to be sure, but unlike the later Puritans, the Separatists were loyal to their "dread Soveraigne." The Dutch, who knew of the restlessness of their guests, offered them the oppor­tunity to emigrate to the New World, and to colonize certain areas on the Hudson in behalf of Holland. But the Separatists' aim was to settle in Virginia. At first they were convinced that "the thing was of God." But their requests to settle in the New World, in Virginia, by royal grant, were repeatedly rejected. One of the bit­terest opponents of the Separatists' going to the New World was the Archbishop of Canterbury, who thought of Virginia as the fief of the Anglican Church, and of the Separatists as troublemakers, both in church and government. The Separatists. on the other hand, came to realize that they would not feel happy in emigrating to an Anglican colony.

The hopes of the Leyden Separatists were by no means raised when they heard of the catastrophe that befell some of their fellow believers of Amsterdam in 1618, who attempted to sail to Virginia un­der the leadership of Blackwell. Of the 180 passengers, 130 died on an over­crowded vessel.

More instrumental in bringing about the voyage was Thomas Weston. He had no religious motive, but worked to obtain a grant for the Separatists for the northern part of Virginia because of the increasingly favorable reports about the lucrative fish­eries. The entire proceedings of the voyage —the preparation, the frustrating anxiety, the uncertainty about receiving permis­sion—are all well known. Finally, the plan matured to leave Holland and to meet the Mayflower at Southampton.

Passengers Aboard the "Mayflower"

The usual conception is that the Pil­grims were all Separatists and that all of them came from Leyden, after having fled their native England. But the facts are somewhat different.

In 1620, when the Mayflower crossed the Atlantic, there were 238 Separatists members at ^-Leyden, but only 35 of them left Holland, embarking at Delfshaven on July 22, 1620. The departure was not easy. William Bradford in his History of Plym­outh Plantation said that when these 35 Separatists left, "tears did gush from every eye" on this "sade and mournfull parting." Of the 149 people that were on the May­flower, 48 were officers and crew. Of the 101 passengers (or were there 102?), 56 were from London and only 35 from Ley­den.

Those that came from London were not all Separatists. One historian estimates that of the 101 colonists on the Mayflower, only a mere dozen constituted the membership of the first church."'

There were thirty-one children on board (eleven of them were girls). With the ex­ception of one, none of these children had either father or mother among the passengers. They may have been waifs sent to Virginia—an increasingly used practice.

At least nine of the adults were indentured servants and hired artisans who were se­lected to work in the colony and in the fisheries.

John Alden and Miles Standish were not Separatists at the time of departure. Alden was a cooper, who later on joined the church. Miles Standish was a soldier, and it is questionable whether he ever became a member of the church.

The majority of the passengers on the Mayflower were doubtless affiliated with the Church of England.

Religious Leadership Came From Pilgrim Minority

The leadership in religious matters came from the Pilgrim minority. They were the salt of the lump. They furnished religious and political leadership. Their chief con­cern was the maintenance of the faith.

The ship of 180 tons was chunky, square-rigged, double-decked, and had formerly been engaged in the wine trade between England and the Mediterranean ports.

"Mayflower" was a popular name. There were nineteen other vessels called May­flower in English records at that time. It is of interest to note that the few contem­porary journals of the historical crossing scarcely mention the ship's name.

The Mayflower of the Pilgrims was over­crowded and smelly, leaky, old, and not far from rotten, for one of her main beams broke in a storm at sea and had to be propped up by a "great iron scrue." It was indeed a ripe old ship. We are told that the Mayflower II is not to duplicate that! Besides the passengers, the ship was loaded with furniture and food, and there were the inevitable dogs, some goats, swine, and chickens. The cattle came over with Wins­low on another voyage in 1624. William Bradford, second governor of the colony, in his History of Plymouth Plantation, said that "after they had injoyed faire winds and weather for a season, they were in-countered many times with cross winds and met with many fierce stormes," and, after "long beating at sea, they fell with that land which is called Cape Cod . . . they were not a little joyfull."

Quite helpful to them was the map made by Captain Smith, which permitted the Mayflower's Captain Jones to recognize the area. Interestingly enough, the Congres­sional Library features as one of its most recent publications Captain John Smith's Map of Virginia. (It is a facsimile repro­duced from an engraving in the Library, and accompanied by a four-page brochure with the same title. It may be obtained at the Card Division for $1.75. It is a 16 x 19 reproduction and suitable for framing.)

The story of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Harbor has often been told. But no account is as moving, as interesting in detail, as that of William Bradford. The Separatists who came on the Mayflower had little or no education. In thirty years less than twenty University men came to Plym­outh colony from 1624-28 and from 1654-1669, and for fifty years there was no pub­lic school. It is rather surprising that the available books listed contain very few, if any, theological works. The Venetian am­bassador, 1637, wrote caustically, "The Brownists abhor letters, study, learned men, and think that ignorance is the only key to heaven. For this reason their followers have ceased to associate with others and have withdrawn to New England which is further North than Virginia, calling it New Canaan which to the Hebrews was the land of Promise." '

Some historians might be justified in saying that the Separatists were not theo­logically minded. Was it a matter of apathy, poverty, or lack of opportunity? There were other more immediate concerns. Before they could devote time to the study of theology, they had to settle down, take root, fight for their existence, and overcome privation and hunger. Their first labor on December 25, a short time after landing, was to build a public community house that was open to all. Their first concern was to be able to live their faith in a noncontaminated envi­ronment. They had a great number of pri­vations to endure, but they also had the advantage of beginning unhampered and unmolested in their privileged pioneering of a type of world that might have caught the interest of Thomas More, the author of Utopia.

The subsequent history of the Plymouth colony indicates that tolerance was not a strong point of the Pilgrims. Victims of intolerance, they in turn became intolerant, and as far as freedom of religion is con-concerned, they would have endorsed the ideas of Theodore de Beza and the strict Calvinists of Geneva and Holland.

The experience of the Separatists is of great value and an inspiration to the Bible student today. The Pilgrims who formed the minority of the Mayflower passengers have given the imprint of the American way of life, the American Weltanschauung, the American form of government, and an American type of religion.

Regardless of later modifications and ad­justments and growth, the Mayflower is above all a symbol:

A symbol in courage, to brave the ele­ments that made a voyage of this nature so hazardous.

A symbol in determination. There was a purpose and an aim: to live one's faith in a free environment.

A symbol in spiritual adventure. To go with loved ones to an unknown land and begin a new way of life.

A symbol in vision. Theirs was a vision of religious freedom as it could be lived in a new world. Because the Pilgrims de­parted from the Old World and came to the New World with this vision, they did not perish!