# Series 2 Episode 12 - Escape to the Low Countries: Richard Bernard, Thomas Helwys and the Gainsborough Congregation.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rise-of-the-protestants-6456889/series-2-episode-12-escape-to-the-low-countries-richard-bernard-thomas-helwys-and-the-gainsborough-congregation
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rise-of-the-protestants-6456889/series-2-episode-12-escape-to-the-low-countries-richard-bernard-thomas-helwys-and-the-gainsborough-congregation.md
Podcast: [The Rise of the Protestants](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rise-of-the-protestants-6456889)
Published: 2026-06-05T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shaughanholt.captivate.fm/episode/series-2-episode-12-escape-to-the-low-countries-richard-bernard-thomas-helwys-and-the-gainsborough-congregation-
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/dd5dc2e7-c115-479b-8143-7998e1985740.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-rise-of-the-protestants-6456889/episodes/series-2-episode-12-escape-to-the-low-countries-richard-bernard-thomas-helwys-and-the-gainsborough-congregation
Duration seconds: 1649

## Resource

Regular episode Season 2 12 Series 2 Episode 12 - Escape to the Low Countries: Richard Bernard, Thomas Helwys and the Gainsborough Congregation. © 20 26 The Rise of the Protestants., Author, Shaughan Holt. The Picture: Engraving of Richard Bernard by Wenceslas Hollar. Richard Bernard (1568–1641) was an English Puritan minister, preacher, and author. He worked to reform the Church of England from within rather than leave it. He briefly supported the Separatist movement around 1606, but ultimately chose not to leave the Church and remained a loyal, though sometimes nonconforming, member. Bernard was known for his practical and easy-to-read books, which made him one of the most influential Puritan writers of his time. He wrote about topics like pastoral ministry, Christian living, social welfare, and religious reform. His faith showed strong Protestant beliefs along with compassion, moderation, and care for everyday people.In his later years, he served as rector of Batcombe in Somerset, where he continued preaching, writing, and shaping English religious life until his death in 1641. The Music: The Coventry Carol . Performed by Seraphic Fire, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Ft. Lauderdale . The "Coventry Carol" i s an English Christmas carol dating from the 16th century. The carol was traditionally performed in Coventry in England as part of a mystery play called The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors (1392–3). The play depicts the Christmas story from chapter two in the Gospel of Matthew : the carol itself refers to the Massacre of the Innocents, in which Herod ordered all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be killed, and takes the form of a lullaby sung by mothers of the doomed children. The single surviving text of the carol and the pageant containing…

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