The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-09-25
How q. Pat Down Fanatacisn..

How q Put Down Fanatacisna.
A great public meeting Of the enlightened
citizens Of New York ought to be called imme.
diately to denounce the revival in our midst Of
that spirit of religious fanaticism which has
depopulated and desolated Christendom for
ages. 1t ought to be nipped in the bud before
it bears its fatal fruit for the poisoning Of our
social relations, and the loosening Of those
bonds of fraternity and equality which ought
to unite together all citizens of this republic,
without regard to their religious creed or the
place Of their nativity.
1t is the most dangerous element Of national
discord that ever entered into the politics Of
people. Many time has it been a wedge to
split up nations-a small portion OF the thinner
end being at fret introduced, and creating but
little alarm, but driven home b. degrees and
by repeated strokes, till il had accom-
plished its deadly work. 1t has been the
cause Of the most bloody civil wars in
Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany,
Hungary, Great Britain and Ireland. In those
countries il has shed torrents Of human blood,
and even in the United States, when they were
yet British colonies, it put to the rack innocent
men and women. and os1acised the Quakers,
the best and most inodensive citizens. Cod
dington, Winthrop and other Episcopalians
were exiled Vsne, the fourth Governor, one
Of their own sect, was banished because ne
would not identity himself with their persecS,-
tons and Roger Williams, minister of their
own, had to fee the colony and take refuge in
Rhode Island for merely preaching liberation
to the Baptists. Even women were prosecuted
for their religious opinions.
As for Catholics, according to an act of l6is,
person only suspected Of Popery was to be
banished, and if he returned was to be hung;
but, warned by previous law, which enacted
perpetual imprisonment or death" against
Papise, and authorized the arrest @without
warrant" Of all who were suspected, the Catho
lies kept out Of the colony and escaped the
penalty.
The founder of the prosecuting sect. which
took root in New England, was
Robert Brown, from whom his dis
ciples were called Brownists. Several
of them had been hanged in England for their
opposition to the Episcopal religion as By law
established. They gained nothing by expert
ence, but, on the contrary, established State
religion themselves. and denied liberty Of
conscience to all who differed from them.
There was nobody to persecute them here; but
they were determined that the system of perse-
cution should not die, and 90 proceeded to COM
pei all to join their church and observe their
ordinances, or suffer the severest penalties.
They believed themselves to be the saints of the
Lord, and the land TO be consequently theirs
by divine right, and all outside Of their commun-
ion to be reprobstes. This spiritual pride Is
the basis of their whole superintendent
arrogant assumption that they were better than
other men. Stand by myself; am boiler than
thou" was their impudent and presumptuous
language. The next step, establishing State
religion, like the Jewish theocracy, with punish
ment even to death for disobedience, Is but the
natural progress Of the sect. federation was
not to be thought Of Hence, according to
Belknap, we find Cakes, President Of Harvard
College, In the year 1873, declare that he
"looked upon federation as the 6rst
informs us that liberation was preached against
as a sin 10 rulers that would bring down the
Judgment Of Heaven on the land; and Mr.. Dua-
ley, one of their distinguished leaders, died
with verses In his pocket, written by his own
hand, Of which the two following elegant and
highly poslicai lines may be regarded a. exhib-
itisg the spirit Of the whole, and putting the
- T.
Let Of God In court and churches watch
Ger such al DO . liberation hatch.
Judge Story, New England man, justly OBJ
serves:-"The fundamental error Of our an
cestors-a an error which began with the very
settlement Of the colony-was doctrine which
has since been happily exploded. I mean the
necessity ola union between church and State.
To this they chung as the ark Of their safety
The doctrine Is exploded, but q remnant Of the
old leaven still works. and II is hoped by the
fanatics II will yet leaven the whole mass of
the people. A letter from James Cudworth,
dated from Plymouth, in loss, says:--"The
anti Christian prosecuting spirit Is very &C
tive. and that In the powers Of this
world, be that will not whip and LASH
prosecute and punish, men that differ in
matters Of religion, must not sit on the bench,
nor sustain any Office in the Commonwealth
This man had been a magistrate himself in the
colony.
Among the ancient Jews poor man was SEN
fenced to be stoned to death for gathering
few sticks on the Sabbath. Following the in
stitutious of Moses, the first draft Of the laws Of
Massachusetts, By Cotton Msther made profaning
the Lords day a capital offence. The punish
men, Of death was erased By Winthrop, but no
alteration was effected in the provision which for
bade persons from walking In the streets or
fields on that day, after the example Of Christ
and his disciples. In Connecticut the Sabbath
laws were rs follows
No one shall run on the Sabbath day, or walk In his