Ethan Walker
The Pilgrims, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, were a group of Puritan Separatists from England who sought to practice their own form of Calvinist Protestantism, which they believed to be more 'pure' than the Church of England, which retained elements of Roman Catholicism. They first fled to Holland, where they were tolerated as a religious minority, before migrating to North America on the Mayflower to establish the Plymouth Colony in 1620. The Pilgrims were opposed to many Catholic practices, including the sacraments of confession, penance, confirmation, ordination, and marriage, which they considered superstitions. They also rejected the Catholic and Anglican Book of Common Prayer, believing that prayer should be spontaneous. While the Pilgrims were escaping religious persecution, they also practiced discrimination against those who did not share their beliefs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religious differences with | The Church of England and the Catholic Church |
| Opposition to | Mass |
| Viewed marriage as | A civil affair |
| Rejected | The Catholic and Anglican Book of Common Prayer |
| Rejected | The Pope, the Saints, bishops, and the church hierarchy |
| Rejected | Veneration of relics |
| Did not celebrate | Christmas and Easter |
| Considered the above holidays | As inventions of man to memorialize Jesus, and not prescribed by the Bible |
| Wanted to practice | A Calvinist form of Protestantism |
| Viewed the Church of England as | "Roman Catholic Lite" |
| Moved to | The Netherlands in 1608 |
| Reason for leaving the Netherlands | Did not want to become absorbed into Dutch society |
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What You'll Learn
Pilgrims rejected Catholic prayer books
The Pilgrims had a number of religious differences with the Church of England and the Catholic Church. They believed that the Church of England and the Catholic Church had strayed beyond Christ's teachings, establishing religious rituals and church hierarchies that went against the Bible's teachings.
The Pilgrims rejected the Catholic and Anglican Book of Common Prayer, believing that prayer should be spontaneous and not scripted. This view is laid out in church member Sabine Staresmore's book, 'The Unlawfulness of Reading in Prayer' (Amsterdam, 1619). They also rejected the legitimacy of the Pope, the Saints, bishops, and the church hierarchy, as well as the veneration of relics.
The Pilgrims' beliefs put them at odds with church officials, who tried to have them arrested and imprisoned for refusing to participate in church rituals. As a result, many Pilgrims fled to Leiden, Holland, where they could practice religious freedom. However, they struggled to adjust to the more permissive Dutch culture and had difficulty supporting themselves financially.
The Pilgrims also had strong beliefs about baptism, which differed from those of the Anabaptists. They believed that baptism wiped away Original Sin and was a covenant with Christ, similar to the circumcision of God's chosen people, the Israelites. Therefore, they practised infant baptism, while the Anabaptists believed that baptism was an initiation ceremony for those who understood the meaning of the ritual.
The Pilgrims also rejected the other sacraments of the Church of England and the Catholic Church, such as Confession, Penance, Confirmation, Ordination, Marriage, and Last Rites. They considered these to be superstitions invented by man and without scriptural basis. They also refused to celebrate Christmas and Easter, believing that these holidays were not prescribed by the Bible or early Christian churches and, therefore, could not be considered Holy Days.
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Pilgrims' beliefs about marriage
The Pilgrims believed that the Church of England and the Catholic Church had strayed from the teachings of the Bible and established religious rituals and church hierarchies that were against these teachings. They disagreed with the Church of England and the Catholic Church on several points, including the nature of sacraments. To the Pilgrims, there were only two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper. They believed that other sacraments, such as confession, penance, confirmation, ordination, marriage, and last rites, were "inventions of man" and therefore superstitions or even heretical or idolatrous.
The Pilgrims considered marriage a civil affair to be handled by the state, not a religious sacrament overseen by the church. They believed that marriage was a contract mutually agreed upon by a man and a woman. Marriage was created by God for the benefit of man's natural and spiritual life. Marriages were considered important for two main reasons: the procreation of children to increase Christ's flock and to avoid the sin of adultery. Pastor John Robinson taught that the important characteristics to find in a spouse are godliness and similarity in age, beliefs, estate, disposition, inclinations, and affections. In the marriage, "the wife is specially required a reverend subjection in all lawful things to her husband," and the husband is "to give honor to the wife," as the Lord requires "the love of the husband to his wife must be like Christ's to his church."
The Pilgrims rejected religious symbolism in marriage ceremonies, including the exchange of wedding rings, which they considered a "relic of popery" and "a diabolical circle for the Devil to dance in." They also rejected the legitimacy of the Pope, the Saints, bishops, and the church hierarchy, as well as the veneration of relics. They believed that prayer should be spontaneous and not scripted, as laid out in church-member Sabine Staresmore's book, *The Unlawfulness of Reading in Prayer* (Amsterdam, 1619).
The Pilgrims' beliefs about marriage were informed by their interpretation of the Bible and their desire to return to the practices of the "ancient church" described in the New Testament. They were unwilling to compromise with what they saw as the Church of England's unbiblical doctrines and practices and chose to flee persecution and establish new communities, such as the Plymouth Colony, governed by their religious ideals.
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Pilgrims' views on Catholic holidays
The Pilgrims had a number of religious differences with the Church of England and the Catholic Church. They rejected the Catholic and Anglican Book of Common Prayer, believing that prayer should be spontaneous and not scripted. They also rejected the legitimacy of the Pope, the Saints, bishops, and the church hierarchy, as well as the veneration of relics. The Pilgrims also opposed mass and considered marriage a civil affair to be handled by the State rather than a religious sacrament.
In addition, the Pilgrims did not celebrate Catholic holidays such as Christmas and Easter. They believed that these holidays were invented by man to memorialize Jesus and are not prescribed by the Bible or celebrated by the early Christian churches. Therefore, they could not be considered Holy days. Instead, they strictly honoured the Sabbath by not performing any labour on Sundays.
The Pilgrims also studied the writings of earlier Protestants and Separatists, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, and established a printing press to illegally distribute new Separatist and Puritan books in England. They were unwilling to compromise with what they believed were the Church of England's unbiblical doctrines and practices and chose to flee persecution and establish a new community, governed by their religious ideals.
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Pilgrims' opposition to Catholic sacraments
The Pilgrims had a number of religious differences with the Church of England and the Catholic Church. They believed that the Church of England and the Catholic Church had strayed beyond Christ's teachings and established religious rituals and church hierarchies that went against the teachings of the Bible. The Pilgrims were unwilling to compromise with what they believed were the Church of England's unbiblical doctrines and practices.
The Pilgrims believed that there were only two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper. They rejected the other sacraments of the Church of England and the Catholic Church (Confession, Penance, Confirmation, Ordination, Marriage, Confession, and Last Rites) as inventions of man with no scriptural basis and therefore superstitions, even to the point of being heretical or idolatrous. They also rejected the Catholic and Anglican Book of Common Prayer, believing that prayer should be spontaneous and not scripted.
The Pilgrims also had a different view of baptism from the Anabaptists. The Pilgrims believed that baptism was a sacrament that wiped away Original Sin and was a covenant with Christ and his chosen people, so children should be baptized as infants. The Anabaptists, on the other hand, believed that baptism was an initiation ceremony into the church and could only be administered to believing adults.
The Pilgrims also opposed mass and considered marriage a civil affair to be handled by the state, not a religious sacrament. They rejected icons and religious symbols such as crosses, statues, and fancy architecture as forms of idolatry. They also strictly honoured the Sabbath by not performing any labour on Sundays. They did not celebrate Christmas and Easter, believing that these holidays were invented by man to memorialize Jesus and are not prescribed by the Bible or early Christian churches.
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Pilgrims' escape from Catholic persecution
The story of the Pilgrims began when King Henry VIII seized control of the English church in 1534, sparking decades of deadly conflict between Roman Catholics and Protestants. The Pilgrims, a group of religious extremists, wanted to practice a Calvinist form of Protestantism, not the Roman Catholic Lite of the Church of England. They rejected the Catholic and Anglican Books of Common Prayer, believing that prayer should be spontaneous and not scripted. They also rejected the legitimacy of the Pope, the Saints, bishops, and the church hierarchy, as well as the veneration of relics.
The Pilgrims first moved to the Netherlands in 1608, living in Leiden, Holland, where they enjoyed freedom of worship. However, they were still persecuted for their religious beliefs, and in 1620, they migrated to America to escape religious persecution and establish a new community governed by their religious ideals. They established the famous Plymouth Colony, which became a central theme in the history and culture of the United States.
In America, the Pilgrims practiced discrimination against anyone who did not share their beliefs or who were not seen as living according to their religious values. They strictly honored the Sabbath, refraining from any labor on Sundays, and they did not celebrate Christmas or Easter, believing that these holidays were invented by man and had no scriptural basis. They also established a printing press to illegally distribute new Separatist and Puritan books in England.
The Pilgrims' escape from Catholic persecution was part of a larger pattern of religious refugees during the early modern period. Medieval Spain, for example, had been a multi-faith society of Catholics, Jews, and Muslims, but early modern re-catholicization forced hundreds of thousands of Jews and Muslims into exile. Similarly, the Test Act in England made it illegal for someone with the "wrong" religion to hold public office or certain other jobs, leading to persecution and exile for many religious groups.
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Frequently asked questions
The Pilgrims were Puritan Separatists from England who believed that the Church of England was corrupt and sought freedom from government interference to practice their religion.
The Pilgrims were Calvinists and Congregationalists. They believed in only two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper. They rejected the Catholic and Anglican Book of Common Prayer, believing that prayer should be spontaneous. They also did not celebrate Christmas and Easter.
The Pilgrims left England to escape religious persecution and establish a new community governed by their religious ideals. They first went to Holland because it was Calvinist Protestant, but they eventually moved on to America.
The Pilgrims were opposed to Catholicism, which they saw as corrupt and retaining too many elements of the Roman Catholic Church. They sought to purify the Church of England of these influences.
While there is no specific information on whether the Pilgrims allowed Catholics in their midst, they were known to discriminate against those who did not share their beliefs. Additionally, the Pilgrims' desire to escape religious persecution in England may suggest that they would not have welcomed Catholics into their community.
