The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-30

"Sic uNiIaAcUlscu ana DanlSneQ. ana mem.
bers of the House OF Burgesses were ex-
PEELED for their religious opinions. Men and
woslen were indicted and fined for not going
TO church.. The records of Middiesex court
SNOW number of presentmeuts, trials. and
convictions OF such character In iii, 17772.
ana 1913. The intelligent and accommo-
dating keeper Of the records says: "Si.ter
Lucretia Pritchett was true pluck. She was
presented at every court. and fined each
time" Congregations and ordinances were
broken mp 10y mobs. and in Accomac and
other counties some Baptist preachers were
arrested as vagrants. pulled from the stand.
'ns'iitcd. and whipped and not Il few were
arrested aud inrarcerated for "prraching the
Tn>Ie' under the rretencr of the exercise of
| Tthsi"n, ~ other mtnnrr than according Ia
the liturgy uf tie Church Of England. and
without having episcopal ordination to teach
or preach The same according to the canon>
OF the said Church of England
Hc detailed the cruel prosecutions endured
Ivy Waller, Craig, Childs, Webber, Anthony.
Watord, and james Ireland, who was put in
Culpeper Jail, and who. despite crueltir>
which endangered his life, preached (aS did
others through the grated bars, and was 50
sustained hy Divine Grace that he dated hi.
letters From my Palace in C,lpeper.r
such has been the righteous retrihutiou that
Mount Poncy Baptist church now stands on
the very site Of the old Jail, and has 20s
| members.
/ Greenwood, Lowell, SlmcklcfnrI~. Ware,
Lewis. and Others also suffered bitter per>e-
cutions. In 1172 james Madison wrote to Il
friend in Pennsylvania: THAT diaboIicaI,
hel!"onccycd principle of persecution RACES
among some; and TO their cterrmt infInIv
the clergy can furnish their quota Of impS
for such purposes. There are ut this time.
III the adjacent county. not less than five ar
six w ll-mcanug men in close jul for pub
lishing their religious sentiments. which. in
the main, are very orthodox These per-
Secutinns extended to Luucnburg. Orange.
Fauquier, Richmond. &c.
Dr. Hawks, the Episcopal historian. says
NO dissrnters in Virginia cxperien. ed for
time harsher treatment thin did The Blp-
lists. They were beaten and imprisoned d;
and cruelty t0.rcd lis ingenuity TO dcriSc ne1r
modes Of punishment ana annoyance"
He showed how their virtues and suffer
ingS excited popular sympathy, and how
they seized upon the occasion of suits
brought by the clergy to collect their titbe,
is tue time to begin their fight for Soul-lrcc-
dom. They we're favored also in the open
no of the great contest for civil freedom.
Themselves which they did not freely accord
To all Others
Dr.. Curry detailed tue steps by which.
beginning with simply al humble petition
tor the privilege of prcachin. to the Baptst>
in the army, they finally overthrow the
Establishment and secured perfect Sou-lib-
erty. He brought out the noble services OF
James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. and
showed that the iapri>t> were untiIterine
in giving their active aid. He SlIbSiantiatcd
MS positions hy citations from minutes ni
Baptist organizations and quotations from
Hawks and others.
! He gave the details OF ilr assessment.
Bill" struggle. and showed that the Bar-
fists were as mitch opposed 10 III establish.
ment which took Them az rs tD 0tc That icf
them out.
He gave the date. and acts OF the "Grnc.
raj Committee in all this struggle. and
quoted DR.. Hawks As saying: " Persecution
had taught the Bapt>tS not To lGvr the
Establishment. In their Association the,
had calmly discussed the matter. and ~
.olycd their course. In this cour>" they
were consistent TO the end; and the Wal
which thcy waved against the Church was
a war OF determination. They seem to have
=. known 40 relrnting, and their hostility
never ceased tor twcnty.Sevcn years"
Through these three decades, ;tnid dis
courayelnrnt* and obstacles. the Bapt>S had
. FOUGHT for pure absolute religious freedom
, and now in 1902 tlc old Commonwealth
stands forth purified aud regencratrd
Every >c>ti-c of religious tyranny wa,
wiped from the statrltc-books The con
! te>t WAS most unlikely of success
aglin<l Formidable agencies, fearful odds
against the oldest and most honoret
families; against eloquent speakers, learned
| lawyers. an interested clergy, IN honorable
denomination which lad contributed many
iilu,trions names to Christianity, and aTlinS
the largely prcpondclTttin@ public opinion o.
the tbId World. The historian OF the Epi>
ropal Church does the grC>>eSt H. Justice IL
a'lribuling their persistent laNor> 10 revenge
The waroi determination WITS not Wagtl
against the Church, but the Establishment
He cited authorities to show that in all tbl.
struggle the Baptists led the van.
He then showed that the BaptiSts OF Nir-
rinil had aided most materially III having
inserted into the Constitution OF the Unite,
States The principles of religious liberty.
. He SAID that historians are now rcLlclautl,
, recognizing the part borne By Bapti@ts il
, these great struggles and triumphS, an(
: quoted their testimony To prove it. He $ait
tnat the principle still needs to be careful,
Guarded aud cited, the attempt now hcln.
[ made u insert religious :lti,'lp III tie Con
? >tn alton OF the Cntcd States, aud BIsnlark'
! troubles with the JcslIit>, H. Illustration
. The Centennial Celebration ut philldclphi
t ! Is to give homage to those who achieved IN
/ dercndcncc and won liberties. Is less homo
\ due to men who held principles in lcr,ecu
e ton that were not relrac'cd in power. who's
: garments are n,Istaincd by Il drop of blood
q who raised in two continents the first voice
| ever raised Tor religious liberty, FUNDED tn
first Commonwealth that ever recognize,
: absolute freedom of conscience:
Y H. earnestly argued that Bapii-i> did no
/ "st,Imhlc' on this idea. but that it lr.riti
! matcy 9rOr< 0uL IF Meir Fundamental pr3,
{ cipiCS IL Is OF the essence, the basal ldC,
OF their whole creed. This is no fouIiS
l. or arrogant claim of superior intelligence O
picty. We set up no such vain prctcnsiol
I Our principles. by an iuexorable logic. ne
Y re.sitatcS soul-tieedom. individuality in IT
I lirion, absolute personality of all rcigiou
!. duties, Il converted membership, imperative
4 ness of sacra,nents without anteccdcnt f:til
). ,udcDcndence Of local, separate churchc,
make it impossible for Il Baptist to t:,vo
, Stale alliance, or for civil government to b
f J united with the Baptist denomination.
. This principle, however. Ivy no nea',s in
, Mics unrcStraucd license. Every organi2
tinn And priori OF a Christian church I'll
;,si,, n, At its members adhere to the Oasis
: union without violating the prln Iplc I
soul-ittrty.
IIe ins;.t. d, in conclusion, that sou
ii,.prty in ifs true significance. IS cSSeillis
to ca,hoIicitv. ind ought 10 gcacratc iii
hr,,d,s, ,olcrauct. and ;lur>t charity. Will