Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-03-01
NXIX.
OF THE GREAT CRY FROM THE rsoNzr
LY HOUSE

OF THE GREAT CRY FROM THE r0N-r
LY HOUSE.
Ana so our weary marching and ooun-
termarching came at last to an end ana
we found ourselves with our backs fulJv
against the wall, and the whole ,streno+b
OIL the government turned against u,,
-Nol word came to lis of u rising or
movement in our favor in any part of
England. Everywhere the Dissenters
Were cast into PRISON and the church
dominant. From north and east and
west the militia of the counties was on
ITS march against us. In London six
regiments of Dutch troops had arrived
rs loan from the Prince of Orange.
others were said to be on their way.
The city had enrolled 10000 men. Es-
TrSwhere there was n'ustering and
marching to Succor the flower Of tha
English army, which was ALREADY in
Somersetshire. And all for the purpose
OF crushing some five or six thousand
clodhoppers and fishermen. half-armed
and penniless, who We're ready to throw
iheif lives away for Il man and for an
idea.
But this idea, my dear children, was a
noble one, and one which a man might
very well sacrifice all for, and yet feel
mat all was well spent. For though
these poor peasants, in their dumb.
Numbering fashion. would have found
1t hard TO give all their reason in words,
yet III the Utmost heart of them ther
knew and felt that it was England's
cause which they were fighting for, and
mat they were upholdng their coun-
Try true self against those who would
alter the old systems under which she
had led the nations. Three more years
made all this very plain, and showed
Ihat our simple, unlettered followers
mad seen and judged the signs of the
tunes more correctly than those who
called themselves their betters. Their.
are. TO my thinking. stages of human
progress for which the Church of Rome
IS admirably suited. Where the mind
OF a nation is young. it may be best
that IT should not concern itself with
spiritual affairs. but should lean upon
the old STAFF Of custom and authority.
But England had cast off her swad-
ding clothes, and was a nursery Of
strong. thinking men, who would bow to
no authority save that which their rea.
son and conscience approved 1t was
hopeless, useless. foolish, to try to drive
such men back into n creed which they
had outgrown. Such an attempt was
however, being made. backed by all the
weight of bigoted king with power
iul and wealthy church as his ally. In
three years the nation would understand
II. and the King would be flying from
hlS angry people: but at present sunk n
t0rpor after the long civil wars and
the corrupt reign of Charles, they failed
10 see what was at stake. and turned
against those who would warn them. as
n haSty man turns on the messenger
who IS the bearer Of evil tidings Is il
not strange. my dears. how quickly n
mere shadowy thought comes to take
living form and grow iI'o n very tragic
realitvf At one end of the chain is a
hInC brooding over a point of doctrine;
at the other end are G000 desperate men.
chivied and chased from shire 20 shire.
standing TO bay at last amid the bleak
X idgewater marshes. with their hearts
- bitter and rs hopeless rs those OF
hunted beasts Of prey. A Kings the
"logy is dangerous thing for his sub
jectS
But II the idea for which these poor