The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-07-14
Religious federation in Rhode Island
and Maryland.

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principle of religious freedom. These
two are Rhode Island and Maryland. It
was said OF the first by Roger Williams,
its spiritual founder, that "a permission
of the most paganish, jewish, Turkish,
or anti Christian conscience" should be
there granted ITO all men of all nations
and countries" Accordingly, the colony
spread such shelter on very wide scale.
It received Anne Hutchinson after she
had set the state as well as church in g
turmoil at Boston, aud had made popu-
lar elections turn on her opinions. It
not only sheltered but gave birth to
Jemi ma Wilkinsp1 prophecies of the
Cumberland z&zdots, who might
under the stimulus of less tolerant
community have expanded into Joanna
Southcote or Mother Ann Lee. It pro-
tected Samuel Gorton, man of the
Savonarola temperament, of whom his
last surviving disciple said, in It'll,
My master wrote in heaven, and none
can understand his writings but those
who live in heaven while on earth.n It
cost such an effort to assimilate
these exciting ingredients that Roger
Williams described Gorton in 1640, as
bewitching aud bemadding poor ProYi-
dence," and the grand jury of that city
was compelled to indict him as q nui-
sance in the same year, on this count,
among others, 'sthat Samuel Gorton con-
tumptiously reproached the magistrates,
calling them just-asses. Nevertheless,
all these, and such as these, were at last
disarmed and made harmless by the wise
policy Of Rhode Island guided by Roger
Williams, after he had outgrown the su-
perhuous antagonisms of his youth, and
learned to be conciliatory in action as
we'll as comprehensive in doctrine. Yet
even he had SO much to undergo in keep
ing the peace with all these heterogen-
eous materials that be recoiled at last
from s'such an infinite liberty of con-
science" and declared that in the case of
Quakers ''a due and moderate restraint
and punishment of these incivilities"
was not only no persecution. but was
'tduty and command of God"
Maryland shared with Rhode Island
the honor of having established relig-
ious freedom, and this claim is largely
based upon the noble decree passed by
its General Assembly in 1649. No per-
son whatsoever in this province profess
ing to believe in Jesus Christ shall from
henceforth be any way troubled or mo-
Tested for his or her religion, or in the
free exercise thereof, or any way COM
PEELED to the belief or exercise of any
other religion against his or her con-
SENT"
But it is never hard to eyade statute
that seems to secure religious liberty,
and this decree did not prevent the Mary
land colony from afterward enacting that
| if any person should deny the Holy
| Trinity ne should first be bored through
the tongue and fined or imprisoned; then
| for the second offense, should be brand
ed as blasphemer, the letter tB" being
| stamped on his forehead; and for the
third offense should die. This was cer-
tainly a very limited toleration; and
granting that it has partial value, il
remains an interesting question who Sc
cured it. Cardinal Manning and others
have claimed this measure of liberation
as due to the Roman Catholics. but Mr.
| E. d. Neill has conclusiyely shown thai
| the Roman Catholic element was or1gi
nally much smaller than was supposed
that the s'two hundred Catholic gentle
men" usually claimed as founding the
colony were really some twenty gentle
men and three hundred laboring men
that Of the latter twelve died on ship
board, of whom only two confessed tt
the priests, thus giving clew to the
probable opinions of the rest; and tina
of the assembly which passed the reso
lutions the majority were protestants
and even puritans. But granting t.
Maryland place next to Rhode Islant
in religious freedom, she paid, like tha
other COLONY, what was the penalty o
freedom, and must dwell q moment ol
this.
In those days religious Ibert.
brought heterogeneous and often reck
less population ; it usually involved th
absence of highly educated ministry
and this implied the want of settle
system of education, and of an elevate
standard of public duty. These def
ciencies left both in Rhode Islsnd an
Maryland certain results which are az
parent to this day. There is nothin
more extraordinary in the Massachusett
and Connecticut Colonies than th
promptness with which they entered o
the work of popular education. Thes
little communities, just struggling fo
existence, marked out an educations
system which then had no parallel in th
European world. In the Massachuseti
Bay Colony. Salem had free school
1910, Boston in 1642, or earlier, Can
bridge about the same time, and th
State, in 1647, marked out an elaborai
system OF common and grammar school
: for every township system then will
out precedent, so far as I know,
, Europe. Thus run .he essential sci
. tences of this noble document. held U
: to the admiration of all England
{ Lord Macaulay in Parliament i:
4 UT learning may not be burie
d In ye grave of or fath'rs in ye churc
9 and commonwealth, the Lord assisting o
9 endeavors-It is therefore ord fred, y
ev'ry township in this jurisdiction, aft
i. ye Lord beth increased YIN to ye nun
Der of so household RS, shall then fortl
: with appoint one within their towne
teach all such children as shall resort
him to write and reade; = and it
]. furth'r ordered. Ut where any tow
shall increase to ye numb'r of 100 fam
!. lies or households, they shall set up
gramer schoole, ye mr. thereof beir
able to instruct youth so farr as they nj
y be fited for ye university"
q The printing press came with the
q schools, or before them. and was active
) employed, and it is impossible not
a recognize the contrast between such j
q stitutions and the spirit of that govern
d of Virginia berkeley who said, qua
Il ter of century later, 1--WE have no fr
Z. schools nor printing, and hope sht
Y not have these hundred years" In Mar
d sometimes advertised for sale as teache
= al