The central idea of the paragraph is the Pilgrims' spiritual legacy. They encountered many hardships and misfortunes on their way to the New World. They were beaten by harsh weather, fought by wild beasts and the Native Americans. All of those temptations were cast on them by God. They risked everything and, with His help, succeeded in founding what they saw as the new Zion. The point of the paragraph is, therefore, the celebration of their great venture, which was to change the world forever.