Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1846-04-09
Eloquent Defense of the Puritans.

NOW prepared thy lace to see.
Eloquent Defense of the Puritans.
We copy the following strikingly elo-
quent passages from the " Historical Dis
courses" by the Rev. L. BACON, D. D., of
New Haven: .-t .... ..-.....
What were the Puritans ? The prejudi-
ces which have been infused into so many
minds from the light, popular literature of
England since the restoration, are ready to
answer. The puritans every body knows
what they were IAN enthusiastic reli gious
sect, distinguished by peculiarities of dress
and language, enemies of learning, haters of
refinement and all social enjoyments, low
bred fanatics, crop-eared rebels, rabble of
round-heads, whose preachers were cobblers
and thinkers, ever turning their optics in up
on their own inward light, and waging fierce
war upon mince pies and plum puddings.-
1t was easy for the courtiers ofKing Charles
II, when the men Of what they called "the
Grand Rebellion" had gone from the scene
of action, thus to make themselves merry
with misapprehensions of the Puritans, and
to laugh at the wit of Butler and of South /;
but their fathers laughed not, when, in ma
ny field of conflict, the chivalry of Eng
land skipped like lambs, and proud banners
rich with Norman heraldry, and emblazon-
ed with bearings that had been stars of vic
tory at Cressy and at Poictiers, were trailed
in dust before the round-head regiments of
Cromwell.
What were the Puritans? Let sober his
tory answer. They were great religious
and political party, in country and in an
age in which every mans religion was a
matter of political regulation. They were
in their day the reforming party in the
church and stale OF England: They were a
party including, like all other great parties,
religious or political, a great variety of
character, and men Of all conditions in So
ciety. There were noblemen among them,
and there were peasants; but the bulk Of the
party was in the middling classes, the class
es which the progress of commerce and civ
ilization, and free thought, had created be-
tween the degraded peasantry and the cor
rupt aristocracy. The strong holds of the
party were in the great commercial towns,
and especially among the merchants and
tradesl.cn of the metropolis. There were
doubtless some n;',ccr.es among thse Id
some men of unsettled opinions: and some OF
loose morals, and some actuated by no high
er sentiment than party spirit; but the par
ty as whole was characterizedby devoted
love ofcountry, by strict and stern morality,
by hearty, fervent piety, and by the strongest
attachment to sound, evangelical doctrines.
There were ignorant men among them, and
weak men but comparing the two parties
as masses, theirs was the intelligent and
thinking party. There were among them
some men of low ambition, some OF restless,
envious, leveling temper, some of narrow
views; but the party as a whole, was the
patriotic party, it stood for popular rights,
for the liberties of England, for law against
perogative, for the doctrine that kings and
magistrates were made for the people, and
not the people for kings-ministers for the
Church, andnot the Church for ministers.
Who were the Puritans? Enemies of
learning did you say? You have heard of
Lightfoot. second in scholarship to no other
man, whose researches into all sorts OF lore
are even this day the great store-house from
which the most learned and renowned com
mentators, not of England and America on
ly, but of Germany, derive no insignificant
portion of their learning. Llghtfoot was a
Puritan.* You may have heard OF The
ophilus Gale, whose works have never yet
been surpassed for minute and laborlouS IN
| vestigation into the sources OF all the wisdom
of the Gentiles. Gale was Puritan. You
may have heard Of Owen, the fame OF whose
learning, not less than of his genius and his
skill, filed all Europe, and constrained the
most determined enemies of him, and OF his
party, to pay him the profoundest difference
Owen was, among divines, the very head
and captain ofthe Puritans. Youmay have
heard of Selden, the jurist, the universal
scholar, whose learning was in his day, and
is even at this day the "glory of the English
| nation" Selden was Puritan.f Strange
! that such men should have been identified
! with the enemies oflearning.
The Puritans triumphed for a while
They Leaf down not only the prelacy, Du,
| the peeraec, and the throne. And what aio
thew do with tie universities? The uni
yer sites we're indeed revo lutionized by
! commissioners from the PuiitanPar1a-
ment and all who were enemies &c
The Commonwealth of England, as then
established. we're turned out of the seats
Of instruction and government. Du' "eis
the revenues of the universities connsca.eo
their halls given up TO pillage linen
libraries scattered and destroyed! Nevel
were the universities of England better reg
ulated, never did they better answer the le
ultimate ends of such institutions, thar
when they were under the control Of the Pu
ritans. e, :.
| Who we're the Puritans? Enemies, die
YOU saw, of literature and refinement p
What is the most respondent name in thu
literature of England? Name that mos
'Lightfoot was a member ofthe Westminste
Assembly Of Divines. After the restoration' N
confo:med to the Established Church
tselden was one Of the lay members Of tn