The Nevada journal., 1851-12-25

"""ShiJ anu aIpitldfy lIchTy III
eighth; the supremacy of the Pope de
MED, and the king declared to be tn,
head of the church. The separation
thus effected was not so much the re
suit of hostility on the part ofth Eng
lish monarch to the Roman creed, a.
jealousy of the power claimed by tn,
Roman Pontiff; and tho authority
which hitherto the Pope had exercised
was devolved upon the crown. Moth
ing was yet gained for religious liber
ty. Strict conformity to the doctrine:
of Catholicism was required under
heavy pains and penalties, and in mos
respects despotic exactions were made
Entire conformity to the doctrines anG
ceremonies of the Roman church was
required by the king, under the penal
ty of death. The right to read the
Bible was limited to merchants and
mobiles, and civil and religious liberty
had no name. A dreary despotism
was over the land. Yet great blow
had been struck for freedom and right
The very act of denying the suprema'
cy of the Pope, was denying his high
est and most efficient attribute. The
king, who denied the supremacy, and
by consequence the divine right of the
pope, laid the foundation for a revolu
ton in his own land. The reforma.
ton began, and many who were re-
quired under the penalties of impris-
onment and death to disregard the di-
vine authority of the pope, could not
admit the validity of that claim for
bishop or king; and for denying to
bishop and king the same attribute
that the king denied the pope, the Pu.
ritans were hung, and burned, and ex'
lied, and nearly exterminated. Yet
the work of reformation went on.-
Wider and deeper extended the feel
ing, and stronger and sterner grew the
resistance. They stood like the gall
liant band at Thermophyle, upon the
narrow defle of freedom, handful of
men defying the hosts and might of
might and tyranny. Then as ever,
was it seen that oppression seeks in
vain to suppress the spirit Of men who
are deeply imbued with the senti-
ments of religious or civil liberty
Then, as ever, was it made known
that !
"They never fail who die in a great cause,
The block may soak their gors--their bones
be strung
To city gate and castle walls, but still
Their spirit walks abroad, the years e!apse.
And others share as dark doom;
They but augment the deep and growing
thought"
that rushes on to freedom.
James the lst of England, an imbe-
cile pedant, vain and frivolous king,
insisted upon the submission and con-
formity of the Puritans to the church
Of England, under the penalty OF exile
or death. Said he 81 will have no
liberty as to ceremonies. | will have
one doctrine, one discipline, one reli-
gion in substance and ceremony. l
will make you conform or will harry
you out of the land or else worse, on
ly hang you; that's all" And these
despotic purposes were accomplished.
Three hundred Puritan ministers, it
is asserted, were silenced, imprisoned
or exiled, in one year. The king and
the established church not satisfied
with this invasion of rights, undertook
to suppress all civil liberty. The SUI
premacy of the king in all respects
was asserted, and all laws and legisla-
ton were to be subject to his will.
Prescribed, persecuted, hunted, the
Puritans resolved to seek another
land, and they sought in exile the safe
ty and liberty which were denied them
at home. They were husbandmen
principally, and Holland, their place
of refuge, afforded them no favorable
opportunity for their accustomed pur-
suits, and they found but little in that
land congenial to their views, save re-
lisious liberty.
And now they turned their eyes to
a far off land, long removed from pro-
scription and persecution, where
fresh domain was open to receive
them, and hope and freedom beckon-
IL ln-fsnN In
poverty, beyond the power OF raising
means to embark for the New World,
they pledged for those means the
fruits of their labor for seven years.
Their pastor addressed them Tor the
last time, and charged them to trust
in God alone-to follow no man, but
to seek and receive the truth. In si-
lence and in tears, they departed |; and
forever abandoned that hospitable
land, where for twelve long years they
or