The sun., 1879-03-23


vigorously carried out by its ofrshoot in vir-
ginih The cavaliers OF jamestown were not
whit behind tho Roundhcads in enacting
stringent ordinances against the Quakcre and
other Lisscntcrs.
Such woro the lessons which tho great
company of Puritnns that cnmo with Win
throp to tho New World in 1880 and which,
unlike tho ScparatIsts. or Plymouth Pill
grims. had not gained in Holland some fnnt
notion OF religious liberty. brought with them
from Old England to Massachusetts Bay. They
honestly believed it to be tho duty Of civil mag
isrates to maintain tho order and discipline
Of their churches. and tho purity Of those gos-
pei interpretations which had received their
formal sanction. In strict conformity with these
principles. the General Court some twenty years
after tho founding Of tho colony passed n law
making II q msdcmcan nor for any ono to preach
to the people on the Sabbath who was not reg
ularly ordained minister OF the Church. This
act seems to have been specially designed to
restrain two ncighbors OF Robert Pike dwelling
In the town OF Salisbury. who. whilo not openly
proclaiming themselves Quakers. were yet i'm
bued with the sentiments OF that sect. and prac-
tised its methods. To uphold them. therefore.
WIS to defend the hated anl dctested followers
Of George Fox. Yet Robert Pike who himself
had been u delegate to the General Court some
years before. did not shrink from announcing
their action in the premises. and declaring that
those members who had voted for the prohib-
ton ordinance had violated their oaths as free
men. that their act WIS against the liberty OF
tho country. both civil and ecclesiastical. and
that he stood ready to mako his declaration
good" The nccnscd and amazed body which.
up to that time had been justified by general
Hcqulescence in dceming its own judgments in
faliblc instantly arraigned tho culprit Mt its
bar. found him guilty OF defamation aud
sentenced him to pay fine and suffer perpetual
dsfranchiscmcnt. Even tho petitions for revo-
cation OF this sentence. which were straightway
forwarded from Salisbury and tho adjacent
towns, were looked upon as incondiary and in
sulting to the Legislative majesty and n COM
mittee being appointed TO discipline the sign
crs fifteen who would not stoop to disavow or
paiate their action were bound over Tor trial.
The writer Of the present biography reminds us
that although other men before and since have
received greater credit for their stubborn de-
termination to assert the right Of petition yet
the vital import OF that privilege was pro-
claimed no less distinctly in the determined at
titude OF these ilnccn Massachusetts, citizens.
II was just such primary discussions and CON
trovorsies MS ,hcse that gave fecundity and
energy TO the doctrines OF civil liberty on this
continent The writer well says that these iif-
teen unlinching petitioners. though they
formed but small fraction Of the original sign
ers. were the salt of their several villages
and the advance guard Of the coming logions OF
revolution. And here we may point out that
the gallant action of Robert Pike on behalf OF his
prosecuted townsmcn. commanding as 1t did
the sturdy support Of some and tho secret SYM
pathy OF many. worked like a subtle and strong
eaven in tho masses OF the Commonwealth.
Within Il twelvemonth the order against which
he protested was repealed. the proceedings
against the intractablc petitioners were allowed
10 drop. and within four years the disfranchise-
ment Of Robert Pike was revoked. whereupon
the people Of Salisbury forthwith elected him a
member of the General Court. Tho prompt re-
turn of n contumacious ctizen was 80 little rel
shed 10y that assembly that il proceeded TO en-
act now law against the Quakers. whose exc
cution. however. was formally arrested by the
Kings order not long afterward. Thus at the
end OF eight years Of bitter and huctuating con-
test. complete triumph was won 10y the Puri-
tan who venturcd to defy public opinion in the
person Of its authentic exponents. and TO affirm
the doctrine Of religious liberty before the civil
tribunals.
We will not dwell on the details OF the quarrel
between Ro9aTJ Rtsataa the spirit Of priestly
supervision and encroachment 10 tc-..o-.l
affairs and the sphere Of the private conscience.
but pass at once TO the most remarkable action
~ his life. namely his undaunted opposition TO
the Salem wtchcraft proceedings Here. again.
We cannot gauge Alright the conduct Of n man
who at the peril Of his life impeached the wis
dom and righteousness Of a whole community
without reference TO the state OF public opiu-
Ion and Of contemporary legislation on tho
subject in the mother country. Z" 1t was not to
be expected Of the colonsts." says MIR. John G.
Palirey. that they should be first to see through
deusion which boiooled the whole civilized
world and the gravest aad most knowing per-
sons in it," The settlers Of New England. like
nll other Christian people at the time-and We can
except only very few indvlduals-beleved in
the reality Of a hideous crime called witchcraft.
Herein. at all events II In nothing else, they re-
naiped in conformity with the Church OF Eng
land. The lawmakers and the ministers
OF Massachusetts Bay were swayed by
this gross error just as-and no further
than-were tho legislators and the clergy
Of the Anglican Communion. Tho proofs
indeed cannot be shaken that the Church Of
England was mainly responsible for the witch
craft delusion and the thousands Of lives sacri-
feed TO It in Great Britain should countcract
the impression which certain class Of writer's
have aimed to produce. that tho infatuatlon
was mainly confined to Purtans aud dissenters,
and was to be regarded rs in some sort an out
growth Of schism. From the reign Of Elizabeth
to that OF George l.. neither tho lawmakers nor
tho clergy OF the United Kingdom set their
faces against the outrages perpctrated upon So
called sorceresscs and wizards. II was in com
pllance with the urgent petition OF Bishop
jewel in 1862 that tho first statute declaring "en-
chantmcnt and any like craft invented by tho
devil" was passed. A good many witch d. vore
put to death IN Elizabeths reg" tnroa for in
stance. being hangc1 N nuutinadonshiro in
l593' VINO their conilsoalcd property was used
to provide lor "a annual sermon on witchcralt
by some Cambridge doctor OF divinity which
discourse by the way, was pronounced yearly
up TO l7lS. The act OF Elizabeth. however, was
superseded in the first year Of james by an
other more severe. twelve Bishops joining
with Coke and Bacon in the prepara-
ton of tho statute. This King not only
published learned and convincing treatise on
the Doctrine OF Devils. but before leaving Scot
land had taken an active part in the execution
Of several warlocks and witches. One Of them
We are told, on his second examination, re-
tracted tho confession previously forced from