Eddie Hyatt is at it again, this time rewriting the history of the Pilgrims to advance is NAR dreams...

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Eddie Hyatt is a NAR dominionist who specializes in distorting history to pretend that the United States was an evangelical Shangri-La when founded, was somehow integral in ending slavery, instead of being one of the last countries to free theirs, and has now been corrupted somehow by anyone who runs for office that is not a Republican. Because Hyatt realizes that those who founded this country did so for economic reasons and were in obvious rebellion against Romans 13, he often tries to go deeper into history to justify his politics. While he is usually fond of pretending that 1726 is the year we should focus on because of the great awakening, the article above goes back to the Pilgrims, I assume to make a connection to Thanksgiving. Yet because history generally disagrees with his subterfuge, Hyatt has to be duplicitous even about this. So, let us reason once more together beloved.

"I was presenting a "Revive America" event at Abounding Grace Christian Church in Schenectady, New York, when the Lord highlighted, in a somewhat dramatic fashion, the Pilgrims' purpose in coming to America. I was preparing for an evening session when I sensed the Holy Spirit instructing me to have the audience repeat after me the two reasons the Pilgrims gave in the Mayflower Compact for coming to America. Later that evening, at the appropriate moment, I had the words of the Mayflower Compact flashed on the large screen and asked the audience to read aloud with me their two reasons for coming to the New World. We read together: 1) for the glory of God and 2) [for] the advancement of the Christian faith. We then read it a second time." - Eddie Hyatt

Eddie just cannot help himself but to be deceptive. The actual text he references has more than the two listed reasons as it reads:

"Having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian Faith, and honor 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 one another, covenant, and combine ourselves together into a civil body politick, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof do 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." - Mayflower Compact

Hyatt conveniently leaves out the bulk of the compact, including taking on this journey for the honor of king and country, having nothing to do with religion. The remainder of the compact shows an allegiance not to God per se but to the colony. All submission and obedience is not to the bible or God but to the general good. Now, it was obviously true that the Pilgrims were religious and were seeking to escape religious persecution. But to cast them as a religious monolith that was just seeking to spread Christianity is beyond rewriting history.

"At the end of the service, a young man, who looked to be about 20 years of age, approached me with his face glowing and a note of excitement in his voice. He said, "I am attending a local community college and taking a course in American history. Just this week the professor told us that the Pilgrims did not come here for religious reasons. He said they came for monetary reasons." He paused and then exclaimed, "But there it is in their own words!" He then stated how he was now inspired to study and teach America's true origins. I then understood why God had instructed me to have everyone speak aloud the two reasons the Pilgrims gave for coming to America. Indeed, even before the Mayflower Compact, while still in Holland, the Pilgrims' missionary vision was clearly stated. William Bradford, who served as governor of Plymouth Colony for over 30 years, explained why they made plans to come to America. He said that they had "a great hope and inward zeal for the propagating and advancing of the gospel of Jesus Christ in those remote parts of the world" (Hyatt, "The Pilgrims," 25)." - Eddie Hyatt

I do not trust the anecdotal stories of a man who lies so casually to advance his political goals. Yet even if this exchange actually went as Eddie describes, the truth is the Pilgrims did come for monetary, or economic reasons. Their voyage was funded by economic interests that they were expected to repay. The monetary reasons were starker when they were living in Holland as they were forced to do long hours for low pay in the cloth industry. They undertook the journey to America to try and give their families a better life. Were there also religious goals mixed in? Sure, no one is arguing that they were not religious but to pretend that was their sole reason is historically asinine. What Eddie Hyatt traffics in is not "true history" but rather pretending God wants him to twist history to somehow make the case for the modern-day apostate church. Eddie also does his usual nonsense about quoting himself, as if that passes academic rigor. It does not. Look, what he is doing here is selectively choosing quotes that he thinks proves his point while ignoring those that do not. The Pilgrims left England for religious reason and went to Holland. They primarily left Holland however, for economic reasons.

"The Pilgrims practiced what modern missiologists would call "friendship evangelism." They made friends, not only with Squanto, but with countless other individuals and tribes. They established a treaty with the Wampanoag tribe in which they promised to defend each other if either was attacked by an outside aggressor. Dr. Samuel Eliot Morison says the Pilgrims treated the natives with "A combination of justice, wisdom and mercy" (Hyatt, 38). A number of Native Americans came and lived among the Pilgrims. These included Squanto, Samoset and Hobomok, who served the Pilgrims as guides and interpreters. Living in Plymouth, they would have attended the church services of the Pilgrims. Their friendship evangelism bore fruit. Bradford told of Squanto falling sick and dying. The Pilgrims cared for Squanto in his sickness, and Bradford said that before he passed, Squanto asked him to pray for him that he would go to the God in heaven he had learned about from the Pilgrims. Bradford described Squanto's death as "a great loss."' - Eddie Hyatt

Friendship evangelism? Is he serious? Anyone with a shred of knowledge of history knows that is ridiculous. The Wampanoag tribe actually were the reasons the Pilgrims survived the first the first winter. It is true that there was some friendship in what was a complex relationship but to pretend that everything was puppies and rainbows is historically ignorant. Yes, there was a peace treaty but there was also rampant disease spread by the Pilgrims, the desecration of graves for the purpose of robbing them and of course the theft of their land. I am sure that many of the natives who had Christianity forced upon them would differ about being treated with justice, wisdom and mercy.

"The Pilgrims' commitment to missions contributed to the fact that the first Bible published in the New World was not an English-language Bible but one in the Massachusetts language. It was published in 1660 for the purpose of reaching the native people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Pilgrims' commitment to missions has had far-reaching ramifications and contributed to America becoming the greatest missionary-sending nation in history. This missionary vision, which began with the Pilgrims, became so pronounced that it caught the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court. In the 1892 ruling of "Church of the Holy Trinity vs. the United States," the nation's highest court stated, The churches and church organizations which abound in every city, town, and hamlet . . . and the gigantic missionary associations, with general support, and aiming to establish Christian missions in every quarter of the globe add a mass of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation (Hyatt, "1726: The Year that Defined America," 170). Yes, the Pilgrims were fleeing persecution in England, but that was only part of the story. They had a proactive missionary vision that was pulling them forward. They clearly stated that they had come to America, "For the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith." In retrospect, it is obvious that they were successful in their mission. It is also obvious that the modern, self-obsessed American church needs to acquire a missionary vision of its own. After all, the Great Commission, in which Jesus commanded us to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19a, NIV), has never expired." - Eddie Hyatt

Once again, it may be easy to find a singular quote that you think supports your NAR dominionist dream, and Eddie has cited this specific quote before. That does not mean it was ever a "Christian nation" and why is this point being made in a discussion about the Pilgrims, who arrived 150 years earlier than the revolution? Stealing people's land in the name of Jesus is not evangelism, let alone "friendship evangelism." Missionary work is not forcing your beliefs on people either. Look, history is often a lot more complicated than people who are trying to use it make it out to be. Persecution was only part of the Pilgrims story. There also was a desire to spread Christianity, no doubt. There also however were real economic drivers. In fact, if there were no economic hardships in Holland, they probably never take the voyage. Even though they did say it was for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith, they also swore all due submission and obedience to the general good of the colony, something Eddie would probably label as communistic or socialism. The Great Commission was not marching orders to force Christianity upon unbelievers. That was the egregious error of the Crusades. We share the gospel, and show the love of Christ in our lives and stealing people's land while robbing their graves? Yeah, that is not showing the love of Jesus. Neither is pretending the Pilgrims represent an imperative for modern day Christians to somehow do as they did. How historically oblivious. How clearly deceptive.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Reverend Anthony Wade - November 28, 2024

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.