John Robinson (1575-1625) was the pastor of the separatist Pilgrims' church in Leyden, Holland. The leadership and respect he gained as pastor is the primary reason the Pilgrims were so united together and able to overcome hardships that caused other groups in similar positions to fail. Robinson encouraged the Pilgrim church to move to the New World, but when only a minority of his church decided to emigrate at first, he remained behind with the majority of the congregation in Leyden--planning to come later after the Colony was established and more people emigrated. His unexpected death in 1625 put an end to his plans. The last of the church members remaining in Leyden arrived at Plymouth in 1629.
John Robinson's theological viewpoints, which were likewise the theological viewpoints of the Leyden Pilgrims in general, were published in many assorted pamphlets and books written by Robinson himself. His writings are extremely important to understanding the Pilgrims religious beliefs. Representative sections of some of his writings can be found below. For a generalized overview of the Pilgrim's religious views, click here.
Observations Divine and Moral (1628 edition)
A Brief Catechism Concerning Church Government (1642 edition)