The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-26

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fishing centre. OF tho world. It's states
men early learned the lesson. not to b.
learned till long afterward by the res
OF Europe. that II national progress Is
to be encouraged tho press OF n nation
must be- free Hence. while Milton was bat
Ting in vain against tho cen orship Of the
press, and English Judges were laying down
the law that the greater tho truth tho creator
tho libe..".the Dutch republic enforced the
principle that 80 long as I'm author did not as
sail private character. and published nothing
to offend public morals. his opinions on poll
tics. religion, or philosophy did not concern
the Government. .."'
Tho educational institutions Of tho Dutch
republic were not moro in advance OF their
aim thdn were those intended !or charitable
purposes. Venetian travellers and diplomat
lists bear witness to tho perfection OF the asy-
lums for the veterans and orphans Of tho war
with Spain. which were dotted over tho whole
country. In addition tho Dutch republic had
organized IL complete systcm OF charitable
institutions for civilians. To the excellence Of
its asylums for the insane. its retreats Tor aged
senmcn. and even It's prisons for debtors. we
havo the testimony of contcmpornneous Eng
| lishman. who cannot be accused Of partially
like Owen Folthnm. the royaist and High
Churchman. and Sir william Temple. The
poor 81 Holland were cared for by tho State.
and II is recorded that Amsterdam. Mt the con-
| clusion OF tho war with Spain. spent n million
| dollars annuallyin her public charities. The
| dcplorable condition OF the poor in England at
| that epoeh and for long timo aftcrward Is
| woll known.
Significant also. OF u high civilization Is the
| fact that while the Puritans in Massachusetts
| were executing witches By tho score, while
their countrymen in England were put
| t~r Ah,,,, b. L..
while the victims in Franco and Germany were
| numbered by the thousands. in Holland this
| insane delusion produced hardly ripple upon
the surface. During tho rule Of the Sranards
there had boon slight persecution Of witches
in tho Netherlands. but with the establishment
OF the Dutch republic It vanished from the
| territory under it's control The mon hero
wcto Calvinlsts. like the prosecutors OF
Scotland England. and New England
but there was no room in their natures
for q belief bred from the union Of ignorance
and superstition. Mr.. Campbell does not fail
TO point out that tho American colonies planted
hy the Dutch knew nothing OF the madness
which swept over sections of New England.
and that the Independents OF the English
Commonwealth. who had been subjected to
influences from Holland, were also FREQ from
the ,delusion. leaving the persecution of the
witches to the Presbytcrinns and the members
OF tho Established Church.
There is no doubt that tho practice OF re-
liSfous liberation became firmly rooted in tho
Netherlands long before it gained lodgment
in any other European country. This state
mcnt is sometimes Eainsaid on account Of the
persecution OF the Alminiuns which followed
the denunciaton OF their doctrine as hcretical
by the Synod of bort in 1919. In n discussion
of this subject in his nineteenth chapter Mr.
Campbell finds it easy to show that never was
there u so-ca!led religious persecution 30
brief. so mild. and SO largely political. 1t
was an important historic episode. but
its importance was due not so much to
its theological as to its political fea-
lures 1t was all over in 1928. and
during the six years that it Taste! 10
blood was shed upon tho scafrold except that
OF the aged statesman Barnepeld. The minis
tors who were expelled from their beneflees on !
account OF their Arminian tenets wore not
sent forth penniless us they would have
been in other countries. The full salaries
%: those at least who appeared before the
SynN,,-were paid to thorn. and they were in |
addition supplied with ample funds to deirny |
the expenses oftfeir voyage. Those who re- |
NAMED at home oil! had their salaries contn-
ucd il they abstainod from preaching This. |
as Mr.. Campbell says. is not tho spirit OF true |
religious persecuLioi. The politica! character
OF tho movement is strongly hrcu.ht |
out BY the fact that during tao whole
OF the persecution. tho Anubaptists twho |
professed the same theological tcnots rs tho
ArminiansN. the 1nthcrans. the Jews and even
the Catholics. having excited no political ami
mostly. remained undisturbcd. Moreover. as
We have said. in 1875 the Arminians returned,
refstablished their own schools and colleges,
reOpened their churches and soon stood on a |
full equality with all the Other sects. To class
this uprising against tho Arminians among
the religious prosecutions OF tho world in
which ono dominant sect has prescribed all
others. shows strange want OF acquaintance
with the facts. Tho controversy. however.
is OF interest to the student Of the his
tory OF English and American Puritan
ism. Had the Arminians triumphcd they
would have established union OF Church and
state somewhat like that which existed in En-
land. Barneveld and his adhcrents prolcsscd to
believe that the Calvinistic clergy would. unless
restrained. attempt to control tho civil author
tiles and set M an ecclesiastical despotsm
suciI as lad existed in Geneva under Calvin.
But no suchresults followed the triumnh oftho
Dutch Calvinists. The liberty loving Neither
landers. having freed themselves from tho
Church OF Rome. We're too wiso TO put their
necks under another spiritual yoke. The
srlrh OF liberation which had free scope in
Holland alone OF European countries. found
its way ~ the Dutch settlements in America
and directed tho legislation Of Roger Will
liams md William Penn.
v.
Let MS now return to tho twenty second
chapter OF this history and glance for mo-
nrnt at some legal institutions which are Ger,
Iainly not due To England. because they did
not exist there when tho American colonies
were Ionndnd. but of which thore wora proto-
ypes In the Dutch republic If we look. for
instance. ut tho method of -