The year was 1517. On October 31, Martin Luther nailed his theological declarations to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. Also in that year, in Boston, England, at a site where now stands an English pub called Martha’s Vineyard, John Foxe was born. John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, once said that, more than any other human action, John Foxe caused the rise and the flourishing of Puritanism. By 1526, regular theological discussions were being held in the White Horse Tavern in Cambridge. At the same time, King Henry VIII was experiencing matrimonial difficulties and in 1533 insisted that the church declare his marriage annulled. The pope refused and so, in the next year, Henry had the English Parliament declare him the Supreme Head of the Church in England, thus severing all ties with the Roman Church. Unfortunately, Henry had no desire to “reform” the church as those who had been meeting at the White Horse had hoped. They thought perhaps now the Scriptures alone could genuinely become the foundation of the church and the nation. This was not to be.
They found some support after Henry died and his nine-year-old son Edward assumed the throne. The push for the purification of the church and the state gained great momentum in England. However, it was short lived as the next Tudor on the throne was Mary Tudor, better known to later generations as “Bloody Mary.” Mary wanted nothing more than to return “her” country to the Roman Catholic fold, no matter the cost. Between 1553 and 1558, Protestant exiles flooded Europe, hoping to escape Mary’s sword. During Mary’s reign, hundreds had died for their faith. John Foxe recorded their stories in a monumental work we know as The Book of Martyrs.
Two distinct groups formed. Both were maligned as “Congregationalists.” People who believed the authority of the church was Jesus alone via the Holy Spirit through the congregation. Not a priest, bishop, cardinal, or pope. One group remained in England and worked to “purify” the English church. We call them “Puritans.” The other came to the conclusion that it just wasn’t going to happen and “separated” from it. They took Paul’s warning to the church in Corinth seriously. “…come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17). Thus, was formed the “Separatist” movement which later produced such leaders as John Smyth, John Robinson, William Brewster, and William Bradford. The latter three left England for Holland and later emigrated to the New World, landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620.
During the first winter in the New World, half of their company died from sickness. Without the help of the local Wampanoag people, the rest would have followed. In grateful appreciation for the bounty of the second harvest, the Pilgrims called for a celebration. The Wampanoag joined in and a feast that lasted three days was enjoyed by all. We recognize this as the first Thanksgiving.
This is why, as a congregationalist, Thanksgiving is special to me. It really is about much more than food and football. I like to honor the “Pilgrims” who fled all that was familiar to them and came to the New World in order to worship according to their conscience. Their desire for religious freedom became a cornerstone of America. Freedom of religion is enshrined in the first amendment to the Bill of Rights.
However you celebrate tomorrow. Remember those who risked it all and made it possible. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.
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