The Cloud of Witnesses
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in
Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more
than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect
them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth;
your word is truth.” – John 15:14-17
William Bradford and the Pilgrims
- William Bradford (1590-1657) was one of the
original settlers of Plymouth Plantation, having
crossed from England in 1620 on the Mayflower, and
he became the colony’s governor for over thirty
years. His record of the colony’s early years, Of
Plymouth Plantation, has become a classic of early
American literature. It was under his leadership that
the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, and he
regularly declared additional “days of thanksgiving”
throughout the life of the colony.
- Bradford, like the rest of the Mayflower pilgrims,
was a “separatist”—a small branch of the Puritan
movement which thought it was better to separate
completely from the Church of England than to try to
purify it from within. They were thus viewed as
more radical than the later Puritan settlers of
Massachusetts Bay Colony.
- In drafting the Mayflower Compact before leaving
ship, this small church family became the first group
of settlers in America to declare themselves a selfgoverning body.
The Life and Times of One Extraordinary Church Family:
1602 – Young William Bradford, 12 years old, starts to attend the church meetings of a strict
Puritan group near his home. He is befriended by William Brewster, one of the congregants.
1603 – King James I takes the throne of England after the death of Queen Elizabeth. Contrary to the
Puritans’ hopes, not only does he refuse to push through any new reforms of the Church of
England, he declares that he will deal harshly with its radical critics. This could mean fines,
imprisonment, or even death for dissenters.
1607 – Under the threat of government persecution, the little church begins to meet secretly in
Scrooby Manor, the home of William Brewster, led by Pastor John Robinson. After being
caught, fined, and imprisoned, they decide to look for a way to leave England.
1608 – After several mishaps, including having an English sea captain betray them to the
authorities, they finally managed to book passage to Holland. 18-year-old Bradford went along.
1609 – The Scrooby congregation settles in the Dutch town of Leiden, though most are forced to do
menial jobs in poor conditions. Bradford has to live in an area known as “Stink Alley.”
1613 – Bradford, now having gained an inheritance from his family, marries Dorothy May in a civil
ceremony (not in a religious ceremony, because “church weddings” aren’t in the Bible).
1617 – The Bradfords have their first child, John. But the Scrooby congregation is now considering
leaving Holland, distressed that their young people are growing up Dutch instead of English,
and surrounded by the worldly temptations of the tolerant 17th-century Dutch society.
1620 – They make arrangements to settle the
northern part of Virginia Colony, and hire two
ships to take them. One, the Speedwell, has to
turn back, so all 130 passengers have to cram
together in the 100-foot Mayflower for a twomonth journey over rough seas. The Bradfords
have to leave their three-year-old son behind in
Holland. They make landfall in November, but
don’t come to their final spot at Plymouth until
December of 1620. Realizing that they were
well north of their chartered location, they
drafted their own Mayflower Compact as a
political constitution. Dorothy Bradford dies
while William is away on an exploratory
scouting mission.
1621 – About half of the group does not survive the winter, including the first governor. Bradford,
now thirty-one, is elected to replace him. It is only after making a treaty with the nearby
Wampanoag tribe, and gaining their assistance in planting and fishing, that the colony begins to
thrive. This partnership leads to the first Thanksgiving.
1620s and beyond – The Plymouth colony faces a number of ongoing challenges: violence from
tribes opposed to the Wampanoags, disrespect from the new Puritan settlers at Massachusetts
Bay, the settlement of non-religious Englishmen in their midst, and a growing rebellion among
the younger generation against the values of their parents.
Quotes from Bradford:
“All great and honorable
actions are accompanied
with great difficulties, and
both must be enterprised
and overcome with
answerable courage.”
“But though this had been
a night of much hardship
and danger, God gave
them a morning of comfort
and refreshment, as He
usually doth to His
children.”
“It was to the astonishment of many and almost to the wonder of the world, that from so small a
beginning such great things should ensue - as in due time was manifested; and that there should be
resting place for so many of the Lord's people here, when so sharp a scourge had come upon their
own nation. But it was the Lord's doing, and it ought to be marvelous in our eyes.”