Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-23
For the Freeman
puritanism.

| EDITOR OF FREEMAN In your issue of Jan
ID, you publish, under the head OF Puritanism,'
an article from the Milwaukee Sentinel, said to be
from the pen of Mr.. Willard. Graphic. truth
fuI and praiseworthy the article may be in the
main, We cannot but think the character of the
Puritan in two points is a little overdra wn.
We wopid not, Knowingly, snatch laurel from the
brow Of our Puritan fat hers, butwe would have Al
their virtues and vices distinctly exhibited in the
glass Of history, that their pos;erity may be able
to profit thereby That they had great virtues,
such as their descendants should be proud of, and
aspire 10, is readily admitted that they were
ligiously in;oleraut and prosecuting, must be
tuctaatty conceded. The good book speaks of
charity that covers multitude of SINS. Such
a veil as this seems to be admirably adapted for
covering the past delinqencies of humanity in its
progressive developments. But to the article In
question. When his (the Puritans reason
was convinced. and his faith was established, they
furnished the law of his life" Too true for poor
witches :" In government he was harsh and
acting, bat be demanded nothing of others which
ne unwilling to yield himself" We wish We
could believe this strictly true. ' He hewed
to the line YES and into it, and through it
The line To be observed between man and mln
drawn by the great Teacher of doing to others
IS we would have others do unto u.s. We fear,
not only hetced up 10, but i,ltoieranfly severed.
Il is difficult TO believe that taking the lite OF
the Quaker and banishing Roger Williams for
their homes; conyac;ons, they did not demand
what they would not be willing to yield to 9th
n
or any other good cause, can be permanently ad-
vanced by undue extenuation of the faults of
their most Jealous advocates. Honor to whom
honor is due-let every tab stand on it's own to-.
tom. IN nausbt e2tenuate nor set down aught IN
N alice But again. He sometimes hISoted
because his convictions such realities TO him
that be could not understand how they could to
less shan CONVICTIONS in the minds of others. And
cause he thus sincere, Jealous, uncompto-
missing in his iath, MS enemies have ever sIeeIed
at him ; a fanatic zealot and bigot.
i gotry is defined TO be blind zeal. Fow, if
the Convictions Of the Puritans were such reai
ties 70 them that they could not understand and
respect the CONVICTIONS OF Others, then they must
nave been blind -edtots il they could understand
a-d .0ould not, then they must have been trM
FIJI z=aIotS. Whichever horn Of the dilemma We
take, do not see how their enemies even
frte4ds, could apply any mi.der epithet to them
than bisots. Il required the school
OF centuries to educate man up the standard
OF Christian federation and even nov, after the
lapse Of eighteen hundred years, We witness daily
exhibitions of poor scholarship To the tolerant
spirit ana indom:table courage Of Roger VIII
lams, hard pressed by the iron heel Of the Pur-
tan, are disposed to attribute that working
4ith II nun anity, justice and righteousness to
which +" his land owes so much" II is said the
Purtars were "a band OF pious, devoted men and
women, VITO believed e. ssgi7er frses