The Newtown bee., 1895-08-23

King James verson of the Old and New
 festaments the Apocrypha, the Acts of the Throne and Parliament for the Uni
 tormity of Common Prayer of Elizabeth and Charles the Second, an index of the
 Bible, and metrical version of the
 Psalms of David fitted to the tunes used in the churches of that day, besides ta-
 oles of weights, measures, for computa- ton of Easter. etc. The book was pub. llshed at London about l760 A. D., which corresponds to the time of the close or the French and Indian war in our country. Appearing thus previous 10 the Revolution, and expressing the way people worshipped and felt at that time, it creates degree of surprise in US, with our free institutions and liberty of conscience such as they never dreamed of, that men could have tamely submit ted to what we would esteem spiritual umbrage.
 Imagine man petitioniDg to the king that his edition of the Psalms might be used in the churches. Imagine the things that we should reiigiously be- iieve, settled by the ''assent and consent of our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth" Im- agine George the Third saying to us, We will, that all furthur curious search be laid aside and these disputes shut up in Gods promises, as they be generally set forth to Us in the Holy Scriptures, and the general meaning of the Articles of the Church of England according to them. And that no man hereafter shall print or preach to draw the Article aside any way, but shall submit to it in the plain and full meaning thereof, and shall not put his own Sense or comment to be the meaning of the article, but shall take it in the literal and grammat- ical Sense. Offenders shall be liable to our displeasure and the church censure in our commission Ecclesiastic- al, as well as any other, and we will see there shall be due execution upon them" Imagine our fathers compelled to pray on the 25th day of each October. "We yield thee unfeigued thanks, for that Thou vast pleased, on this day, to place thy Servant, our Sovereign Lord King George, upon the throne of these ReIms." Imagine being compelled to offer Thanksgiving" for the 'inspeakable mercies" of Restitution of the King (Chsrles ID and Royal Family" on the 29th of each May, which day was Zap pointed by Act of Parliament to forever kept holy.o
 Imagine us, Yankees, compelled every 3oth of January to hold services of prayer and fasting in memory of the ''martyrdom" of ''the annointed, the blessed King Charles the First" Such things would at least seem very strange to Connecticut Yankee, and probably to most of us the following words from the Act of Uniformity of Elizabeth, would seem impossible, if they were not historical fact: "If any person or per- sons whatsoever shall in any interludes, plays. songs. rimes or by other open words declare or speak anything in the derogation, depraving or despising of the same book (The book of Common Prayer) or by anything therein con- tained, or any part thereof, or shall by open fact, deed, or by open threatenings compel, or cause, or otherwise procure, or maintain in any cathedral or parish, church or in any chapel, or in other place to sing, or say any common or open prayer, or to minister any Sacra- ment otherwise, or in any other manner O nd form than ia mentioned ip ro;d boaJr or by any of the said means shall un- lawfully interrupt, or let any parson, vicar, or other minister in any cathedral, or parish. church, chapel, or any other prayer, or to minister the Sacrament. or any of them in such manner and form as is mentioned in said book. That then every such person being thereof lawful ly convicted in form above, said shall forfeit to the Queen, our Sovereign Lady. her heirs and successors, for the first off, fence an hundred marks and if any per- son or persons, being once convict of any such offences eft soons offend again any of the last recited offences and shall in form aforesaid be thereof lawfully convict shall for the second offence for felt to the Queen our Sovereign Lady, her heirs and successors four hundred
 marks, any if any person, after he in- form aforesaid, shall have been twice
 convict of any offence concerning any of
 the last recited offences, shall offend the third time and be thereof in form above said lawfully convict: That then every person SO offending and convict, shall for his third offence forfeit to our Sover- eign Lady, the Queen. of goods and | chattels, and shall suffer imprisonment during his life.''
 ' We American citizens thank the Lord
 that such things are no longer possible,
 that we enjoy liberty of conscience.
 But it makes us more grateful for what we possess both of civil and religious
 liberty to look occasionally at the past
 and see the burdens under which the fathers labored. A glance at Mir Lyons
 ancient Bible will help one to appreciate
 the strides the world has taken in the past few centuries.
 Mrs William s. Wheeler of Shelton
 was in Newtown, last week, the guest oi
 her sister, Mrs Wright.
 Miss Margaret F. Kilbride is spending
 a few weeks with her mother, Mrs P Kilbride, and her cousin, Miss A. K. Nc