The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-11-04

!. B. Z b Ianes.,er EzamInsr.

'ound the terms pilgrim and 'Pdr-
tan" or assume they mean one and
the same thing. The sehoOlbOy, read
ing Of the Pilgrim landing in l62O, and
OF the Puritan eCming 10
this country in iG2s. believes each were
simply the same people, With the same
aud intent upon The came Pur-
p1se. This Is not the case, "a every one
knows who has read carefully New En-
gland history. But for all this, the
Pilgrim Fathers are only too often re-
garded, even by their direct descend
ants, Us Puritans, while the fact is. they
they had nothing to DO with the Puri-
tns until both had been settled many
years in their chosen homes. The PHI
grims were the first eomers, emigrat-
ing, not from England, but from hoi-
land, and establishing the independ-
elt Plymouth Colony, the first indie
pendent white community ever set up
on this side Of the sea.
The Puritans came eight years later,
and established the English Crown
Coloay OF Massachusetts, Bay The
Pilgrims were English, but long sepa-
rated from England when they came
u Plymouth. They owed no ale
glance to the English King, and were
not connected with the English
Church. They made their own laws
aud governed themselves, and formed
their own church Oh the Apostolic
model. The Puritans were subjects of
the Crown, were governed from Eng
land. and were members IN good stand
ing Of the English Church. The Ply
mouth Colony. the Pilgrims, and the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Puri-
tans, united in 1872 10 form the Massa-
chusetts Province. Aside from any
original difference Of creed, there was
a decided difference between the two
sects in point of social standing and
worldly circumstances. For the most
part, the Pilgrims were Of humble orr
gin, not acquainted with trade, but
used to 4" a plain country life and the
innocent trade of husbandry," as Brad
ford described them, or ''north country
peasants" as Palfrey says.
The Puritans, on the other hand,
were English country gentlemen, edu-
Gated, intelligent, and possessed ofteu
of fortunes. Many were graduates OF
universities As a class, they were iit-
ted by their abilities and training TO be
the founders Of States. They came
here, not wholly for religious reasons,
but to found free state, believing that
England, under Charles H., had lost
her liberties They were in sympathy
with the great Puritan leaders at home,
and came a. representatives of them,
as pioneers in movement which II
was believed would grow % large pro-
portions. For the Puritans whom
Charles had oppressed they would
found new State. Religious matters,
however, were not lost sight OF in
deed, they were always potent with
them, and a marked influence, especial
ly in church government, was exerted
upon them By the men 0f Plymouth
In fact, the most marked contribution
made to New England polity was the
form OF church government given by
the Pilgrim TO the Puritan.
Governor Winslow, for example,
says that ''sOme Of the chief Of the
Puritans advised with Us in respect 10
a right way of worship and desired to
know whereupon our practice was
grounded. We accordingly showed
them, he says, ''the primitive practice
taken out ofthe Acts of the Apostles and
Epistles written to the several churches
by the said Apostles, together with the
of Christ, the Lord,
in the Gospel, and our warrant for ev-
cry particular We did from the Book Of
Sod" EndicOtt, writing to Governor
from Salem in 1929, thanks
him for sending Dr.. Fuller 20 them
He says that he has been satisfied by
DR.. Fuller in regard 70 the outward
form of Gods worship. This Dr. Full
er was a Deacon of the Church of Ply
mouth. He explained the Plymouth
of procedure in both civil and
church matters Governor EudicOtt
accepted his views. Beyond his infiu-
ence in directing church policy, the
Pilgrim made no special mark in New
having been fully absorbed
and directed by the abler and sturdier
Puritan. In concluding his review OF
DR.. ByingtOn's late work on the Puri-
tan, Mayo W. Hazelton, says:
"We can estimate the social and
family life of the Puritan from its re-
suits in the types Of character which we
fad in their descendants. We are
living among people of the eighth
generation from the founders of New
England That is a long period
which 10 transmit distinctive
traits. Nevertheless, the New Eng
land type Of mind, after 20 years, is
still almost - distinct in the great
Of American life as Is the Gulf
stream in the Atlantic. The Puritan
type Is very persistent. The men and
women of Puritan blood, wherever we
find them, are apt to be people of vig-
orous intellect, thrifty habits, invent
i've genius, and strong moral eharac-
ter. They stand for liberty i'll the
church and in the state. The leaders
of liberal thought and also large pro-
portion Of the conservative leaders
have been descendants of the Puritans.
No other section of the AngIO-SaxOn
race has excelled the Puritans in the
number Of great men, and Of good
men, scholars and statesmen, and sol
diers, that it has produced"
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