John Robinson, 1575-1625
(From an address to his congregation just before the Pilgrims, who were members, sailed to America, July 21, 1620.)
“We are now ere long to part asunder, and the Lord knoweth whether I shall live to see your faces again. But whether the Lord hath appointed it or not, I charge you before God and his blessed angels to follow me no further than I have followed Christ; and if God should reveal anything to you by any other instrument of his, to be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth by my ministry; for I am very confident the Lord hath more truth and light yet to break forth out of his Holy Word.
I bewail the condition of the reformed churches who are come to a period in religion and will go no further than the instruments of their reformation. The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw; for whatever part of God’s will has been imparted and revealed to Calvin, they will rather die than embrace it. And the Calvinists, as you see, stick where Calvin left them. This is a misery much to be lamented; for though Luther and Calvin were precious shining lights in the times, yet God did not reveal his whole will to them; and were they living now they would be as ready and willing to embrace further light as that that they had received. I beseech you to remember your church covenant, at least the part of it whereby you promise and covenant with God and one with another to receive whatsoever light or truth shall be made known to you from the written Word of God.”
(From an address to his congregation just before the Pilgrims, who were members, sailed to America, July 21, 1620.)
“We are now ere long to part asunder, and the Lord knoweth whether I shall live to see your faces again. But whether the Lord hath appointed it or not, I charge you before God and his blessed angels to follow me no further than I have followed Christ; and if God should reveal anything to you by any other instrument of his, to be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth by my ministry; for I am very confident the Lord hath more truth and light yet to break forth out of his Holy Word.
I bewail the condition of the reformed churches who are come to a period in religion and will go no further than the instruments of their reformation. The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw; for whatever part of God’s will has been imparted and revealed to Calvin, they will rather die than embrace it. And the Calvinists, as you see, stick where Calvin left them. This is a misery much to be lamented; for though Luther and Calvin were precious shining lights in the times, yet God did not reveal his whole will to them; and were they living now they would be as ready and willing to embrace further light as that that they had received. I beseech you to remember your church covenant, at least the part of it whereby you promise and covenant with God and one with another to receive whatsoever light or truth shall be made known to you from the written Word of God.”
Photo by Airi Pung
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