Page 18 - Heavenly Signs III by Mel Gable

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Eventually, Chief Massasoit came to meet with Governor Carver, who was the first Governor of the colony until
his death in April, 1621. 13

They made a peace treaty and agreed to live peacefully. This treaty lasted 54 years. Today, a recreation of the
original Pilgrims village has been built in Plymouth, Massachusetts and is called Plimoth Plantation. It is there
that one can see how the Pilgrims slept, cooked, ate, and the kind of work that was done. There were no schools
but all the children learned to read at home or from someone in the colony who could teach them. The Bible was
the main book read by all. Everyone had heard about how to live life by Biblical rules. Finally, on the 5th of April
1621, Capt. Jones sailed the Mayflower back to England.

By October 1621, the Pilgrims had much to be thankful for and they had a celebration that Americans have
celebrated ever since which is called “Thanksgiving Day.” Thousands of people take part in the public
Thanksgiving meal at Plymouth Memorial Hall every year and eat the traditional turkey with cranberry sauce with
all the fixings. Only 50 colonists out of 102 survived that first winter along with Chief Massasoit and his 90
Indians celebrated their feast over a three-day period of time. It was truly a joyous time of thanks for all their
good fortune and their peaceful relationship with the native Indians, who help them survive. 12

During the first ten years other colonists joined those at Plimoth Plantation and also built new settlements.
William Bradford was elected the second Governor and he proved himself an able leader in keeping things
moving ahead smoothly. Until 1630, Plymouth Colony was the largest single settlement in New England. It was
in 1630 that the great migration of Puritans took place. The Puritans were Protestants in England who had one
common idea which was they wanted to purify the Church of England and do away with the Priests, fancy robes,
colored windows in churches and religious music. They took the Bible literally. Most Puritans were opposed by
officials of the Church of England and also by the English Government. During the reign of King James I some
Puritans completely broke away from the Church of England. These Puritans were non-conformists. To review
the definition of the Pilgrims, who were first called Separatists we know they were very religious and that most of
them were not as well educated as the Puritans. Like the Puritans they wanted to set up their own congregations
but the English authorities did not approve and persecuted them including sending them to prison. In 1607-08
many of them went to Holland and formed a congregation there. They spent some time in Amsterdam and then
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later moved to Leyden where most of them lived for the eleven years prior to their sailing to America.
God had provided an English speaking Indian to help the Pilgrims survive in this New World. He spoke English
because he learned the language in England and his name was Samoset. Samoset was set free from slavery and he
returned to the native land of America where he was born. Was he a gift from God? Was the peace relationship
with the Indians also a gift from God? The Mayflower Pilgrims believe in the God of Abraham, the founding
father of the nation of Israel. They believed if they honored the God of the chosen people, Israel, they would be
blessed as well. They believed in the true God, the Father of Christ the Lord. Christ being our High Priest in
Heaven, which intercedes for His children. They were true Christians in the true sense of believing that Christ
came as God in the flesh as our redeemer. Christ died on the cross as the perfect Lamb of God. It was through
God’s redeeming grace that He sent His Son into this world.

Yes, it does make a difference in whose God you serve. It is not the god of Islam, Allah. The Islamic religion
doesn’t believe in the Deity of Christ the Lord. They have been deceived by Satan and the false prophet
Mohammed in believing that God had not sent His Son into to this world as our savior and redeemer. America
has become too tolerant of those, who do not serve the true God and Creator of this world. It has become no
longer a truth that can be shared in public schools. How could we force our beliefs upon another religious
group? But, Christ commanded us to preach the Gospel unto all nations. The Pilgrims believe that they would
bring the Gospel to the American Indians. It is exactly what they chose to do in coming over to the New World.
They put in place a peace treaty with the Indians which lasted for 54 years. Those who have come to this country
should be opened minded to the fact that this nation was built upon in “God We Trust.” This God is the Creator
of this world. The heavens declare the glory of God and His plan of salvation for this world. It was through the
virgin birth that is symbolized by the Constellation of Virgo in the heavens. It is hard not to believe that the
Pilgrims were Christians in their beliefs in which they established the settlement in Plymouth. They wanted
separation of church and state and the ability not have government dictate how they worshipped God. But,
there are those who believe that the founding of the United States was not on Christian principles.