The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-12-24
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| tic monument has so recently been erected at
| Worms, had furnished such an example in
| bis own day and land, and with relation to
the church of which he 6'ssocs S.nGa S.G.ltsn DE.
voted disciple. No name -
with his name in the graz . of Sppa-
fatisis. But our Pilgrim Fathers were hum
ole followers in the same path of Protestant.
Ism, and thanks be to Gsd that their hearts
were inspired and emil oidened TO initiate bis
heroic course
RELIGION THE FOUNDATION.
we cdnnUL Ue loo oiteu iemiuueu that Il
was religion which effected the first perma-
men! settlement in New England. Ali other
motives had tailed Commerce, the fisheries.
tue nope OF discovering mines, the ambition
M ., founding colonies, all had been tried, aud
a., naq ialled. But the Pilgrims asked OF God
a aao ne gave them the beathen for their in-
neri, ance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for their possession Reia,ops f,,,h
and iear, religious hope and trust.glh. fear of
Goo. tne love OF Christ, an assured iaith IA,
the holy Scriptures, and an assured hone OF a
life OF bliss and blessedness TO coMe. these.
and these alone, prove sufficient 10 animate
aud strengthen them for the endurance of all
NE tolls and trials which such an enterprise
involved. Letit never be forgotten that If ihe
cornerstone OF New England was indeed laid
oy the l'ilsrim Fathers, two centuries and q
half ago to-day, it was in tie cause Ct religion
they laid 1t; and whatever others NAV ha 70
ouit upon II since, or may bui'd upon it here
a'ter,-eo god, silver, precious stones, wood,
nay, stubble,"-God forbid that on this Ami.
versa'y the foundation should be Ignored or
repudiated!
DEFENCE OF PURITAN INTOLERANCE.
True, there were some shades OF difference
'h tue ieligious sentiment and in the civil ad.
minlstration of the various plantations as
they were successfully developed. The
charges of intolerance, bisc,ry, superstition.
and persecution, which thEre seems a, have
oeen asPeoial delight, In some quarters, OF late
years, In arraying against our New England
Fathets and founders, apply without doubt
more directly to other colonies, than 10 that
whose Iauding We ills day commemorate.
Inc fhgrIns In their narrow retreat Of
rock and sand were but little disturbed by in.
trud-rs and disseutients, as my friend DR.. En-
lis has So well classified them, and could afford
10 be less rigid in their admissions and exclu.
slonS. 1helr leaders, too, were perhaps OF O
more lenient and liberal temper than those
who settled elsewhere. Let them have all
honor which belongs to them; and let GEN.
sure and condemnation fall wherever IL Is de-
served. am not here to justify or excuse all
tne exiravagancies, superstitioDs or persecu-
tions OF the Puritan co!Onists. But stil less
am here to pauder to the prurient malignily
OF those who are never weary OF plying into
the petty faults and iOllies or our Fa,hers.
aud who seem to eloat and exult In holding
them up to the ridicule and rsproach of their
children. A If those great heats, whether
OF l62O or 1880, had fed into the wilderness
to assert and vindicate broad, abstract. up.
qualified doctiine of religious liberty, or even
ot religious liberation, to which they bad
afterwards proved recleant themselvesl ASH
the previous circumstances of their coIdi.
t,on-wlth savage foes watching to exfiipate
them, with famine eve. staring them in The
lace, with disease and death neDs cling Them
n every shape and at every turn-did not
constrain and compel them, in the earlier
stages OF their career, to adopt the
principle OF excluding from their COM
h'unity any and all who were bent upon in.
Producing contention and dIsccrd, and OF en-
forcing among themselves something oil that
s.ern martial rule which belongs TO be-
sieged camp! Why, even Roger Williams
himself was forced tO introduce a right OF ex-
cluslon, or non adu.isslon, into his original
articles oil settlement at Providence. We can
never too often recall the language Of the late
venerable JOSIAH Quincy-the last man of our
day and eeneralion-ihad almost said of any
day and generation-to palliate real bigotry
Or wanton lDtolerance-~henb be said, in his
mastery Discourse on the Second Centennial
Anniversary OF the settlement OF Boston Ii
loSU: "dad our early ancestors adopted the
course we are at this day are apt to deem 80
easy aud obvious, and placed their govern
ment on the basis oil liberty tor all sorts of
consciences. it would have been in that age, a
certain introduction of anarchy.
The non federation which characterized our
early ancestors, from whatever soulce it may
have originated, bad undoubtedly the effect
they intended and wished. 1t excluded from
influence, in their infant settlement, all the
friends and adherents OF the aucient mouar.
chy and hierarchy; all who, from any motive,
ecclesiastical or civil, were disposed to disturb
their peace or their churches They consid.
cred IL a measure oil 'se-deience.' Aud it 10
unquestionable that it was chiefy instrumen.
tai IN forming the HOMOGENEOUS and exclu-
siveiy republican character Tor which II e peo-
pie OF New England, have, in all times, been
distinguished; and, above oil, that it fixed ir-
revocaoiy In the Country that noble security
lor religious liberty, the independent system
OF church government