The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-10-17
DID THE pURITAnS BURN WITCHES?

into Mohametan loaf and called religion 1t is only
a little milder than the mixture upon which the Puri-
tans fed-those old coloniss who considered it sinful
to kiss wife on Sunday. godlike to burn witch
The writer now admits that instituting com
parsons of races gives oense to the people who arc
hit the hardest Therefore, when the injury IS per-
ceived honesty demands and should supply correc-
ton. Prof Charles G. Starbuck of Andover, Mass,
calls our attention to the above paragraph. He is
particularly angry the language which puts
the Puritan below the Turk in the charge of re-
ligious intolerance, reminding us that the Purl-
tans eff not your fellowC Catholics, were at least
your fellow Christians, who never put to death a
Catholic layman clergyman, and who received
a Jesuit missionary sent from Canada with pc
cuar distinction"
Perhaps Prof. Starbuck can historically estab-
lish his last statement. He is likely descendant
| of the Puritans, and there many such scat
! tered over this western country. They do not like
to hear the stories of Puritan intolerance repeated
at this day All of us would remember the virtues
rather than the vices of our ancestors. 1t is
natural Therefore, while it is safe to attack the
Turks in a newspaper it is not wise to place them
alongside the Puritans. 'Brick" Pomeroy gave this
advice to a young man starting out III journal
ism: "Don't roast nationality religion" said
he, "but if you have to pitch into anybody, pitch
into the Mormons. It's a popular subject. 1t can't
offend Them either because nobody will read your
paper in that territory"
But, aside from this pleasantly, let us examine
historical facts to ascertain the basis of the ac-
cepted belief held against Puritans, which charges
them with burning witches, not to mention other
modes of intolerant punishment. About the Blue
Laws of Connecticut" Prof Starbuck says
Now permit me to say that the law forbidding
man to kiss his wife Sunday is pure fable 1t
is one of the many contained in that notorious
fabrication entitled THE Connecticut Blue Laws
This made up by the Rev. Samuel Peters an
Episcopal minister of Connecticut, who, failing to
ceve there the attention which he conceived his due
to England and vented his spite in this tissue
of utter calunies The complete Righteousness of the
whole thing has long been demonstrated, and it is
about time give repeating these
dscredited lies.
We said the Puritan considered it Sinful to
kiss wife on Sunday, making no reference to a
"law" forbidding it. However, that makes no diff
ference except to dispose of the "Blue Laws of
Connecticut" What Prof. Starbuck says on this
matter is corroborated by the Americanized En-
cyclopedia Britannica, but in milder form. The
language used is: "The code commonly called the
sidered to have been forgery by the Rev. Samuel
Peters. The early statutes were not peculiarly
we're or intolerant, and no case of execution for
witchcraft is known" This is not positive as to the
forgery, and assumes probability only as we com
pare the "Blue Laws" with the early statutes.
Taking up the Puritan government of Massa-
chusetts, we read different story. Here is ex-
tract taken from the same authority, revised and
republished in 1892:
In 1892 Plymouth colony annexed to Massa-
chusetts. The Massachusetts colony was established
in 162S-3O and made the first settlement of Boston
in the autumn 1880. A third colony under grant
from Lord Stirling settled in the islands, but united
with the main body in 1895. The early years of the
colonists rendered unquet by continued diff
culties with the Indians under Pequot and King
Philip. The first settlers being Purtans of the Church
of England denied to others the religious liberty
which they had sacrificed much obtain for
themselves, and prosecuted with mpartiaty Quakers.
heretics Catholics and Protestant dissenters not
speak of BURNING rl-favored old women witches.
Prof. Starbuck vigorously denies that any per-
son was ever burned in New England on any ac-
cusation whatever. "First and last" he says,
"about hundred persons were hanged as witches,
but not one burned" He adds:
However, suppose that the early New Enganders
had actually burned hundred persons what special
guilt would have rested on them? They would simply
have done what everybody doing, in Protestant
and Catholic Christendom alike Ireland only excepted
In Germany alone in three hundred years at least
300 900 persons executed witches, mostly
burnt alive and the two religions equally fanati
this horrid persecution, until at Jesuit
Frederick Spec, succeeded in calling halt The Of
fence of New England is a nothing in the COM
parison
Prof. Starbucks denial of witch burning in New
England is somewhat weakened by adding this
apology. 1t is not denied that the Puritans
were contemporary to age of cruelty exercised
by peoples of all creeds, and in condemning Puri-
tans we should not excuse others equally guilty
But Prof Starbuck's amended answer only gives
probability of witch burning a better color
ing. This probability is further sustained by the
absence of printed records of the days doings
Boston the first city in America that possessed
local newspaper, but the earliest attempt in that
direction made in 1899, and a second attempt
under the title "Publicl Occurrences" which fol-
lowed in September 1890, were both suppressed by
the government of Massachusetts, Why were they
1t is not charged that witch burn
ing condoned by law. Such punishment is not
of record IN court reports. 1t was held to be re-
ligious, not legal punishment The proof of the