Mayflower Compact

Posted by: Bill Lewis

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, I’m struck afresh by the covenant the Pilgrims made with the Lord and one another before they landed at Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower Compact paved the way for representative democracy in America.

In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord King James by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, Ireland, King, Defender of the faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith, and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and of one another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid;

and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

In witness whereof we have hereunder inscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620.

Comments

Megan Hall said:

I'm so glad you posted this. I've been really struck in recent years -- actually, frightened -- by the way history is being literally re-written by those who want to remove God from our country's heritage. Some people, for whatever reason, are acutely uncomfortable with God, or even just the very idea that there IS a God. And so they try to paint the Pilgrims and Puritans as bad guys...I've even heard the word "genocide" used! If you study the original historical documents, you have to see that they were godly, humble, devout servants who wished to bring the light of Christ to a new land. We can learn a lot from them...and I hope we do.