The sun., 1905-08-06

az Sir George Yeardley. Governor Of vir-
Rinia, was the son Of . merchant tailor
and first cousin to John Harvsrd's step
father
A good deal OF confusion and misoonoep-
tion Is current concerning the meaning
of tho terms -Puritans," "Nonoonformists,
Independents, 'Brownists.' and PHI
grius." Readers OF Mr.. Channing's his
tory will find the words carefully distin-
guished and defined. The author points
out In his tenth chapter that seventeeuth
century Puritanism was an attitude OF mind
rather than . system Of theology--it was
idealism applied to the solution Of con-
temporary problems. in religion 1t took
tho form Of demand for preaching min
isten. and for carrying to It's logical ending
the reformation In tho ecclesiastical fabric
which Elizabeth had begun and had stopped
half way. In society It assumed the shape Of
desire to elevate private morals. which
then were shookingly low. In politics It
stood for 1 new movement In national life
which required the extirpation Of the relics
Of feudalsm and the recognition Of tho
people a. q power In the State. In short,
Puritanism marks the beginning OF the ris-
ing tide of human aspirations for something
better than tho world had yet known
Mr.. Claiming admits that the definition IL
vague, but 30 was Puritanism itself. There
was no such thing In the reign Of James I.
as an organized Puritan party, with plat
form or statement OF principles II one had
inquired, indeed, Of tho men who are now
designated as Puntans what their wishes
wore, he would have met with nearly a.
many answers % there were men to whom
tho inquiry was put. Between the Non.
vices OF the Established Church, and the
Brownists. who held that the Establish-
ment was sinful, and refused to attend its
ministrations. there was gulf much wider
and deeper than that which separated .
conservative Nonoonfornist from those
who adhered strictly 10 the service book
In the course, however, Of their religious
conflicts, the Puritans found themselves
in alliance with al the forces OF unrest In
the State, until whether or not It ever
became possible to speak Of them properly
a. q party, they ultimately comprised
all persons who were opposed to tho Govern
ment Of England in Church and State a. 1t
was administered BY the second Stuart
Most numerous among the Puritans were
the Nonooniormists. Our author thus de-
fnes them: These were olergymen and
laymen who had soruples with regard to
ono or more things In the church service
or regulations, but continued, neverths-
less, to attend the parish churches. Some
Of them disliked the surplioe. others thought
that the use Of tho ring In the marriage
osrsnnony was q relic Of pre-C Christian
days, and practically al Of them desired .
p,each;na minister. In leoS the Nonoon-
formists did not object to the Bishops, but
az tho conflict assumed moro and moro the
form of q contest with the hierarchy, they
demanded that the laity should be repre-
sented In the Church organization. In the
end the great mass Of them favored Pres
Nonoonformists belonged to the National
Church They purposed to stay in II. to
gain control Of IL and to mold II TO their
will" They had no intention Of tolera-
ting any ono else. From this point Of Wow
Mr.. Charming recognizes - tho embodi-
ment of . literal truth Milton's phrase,
New presbyter 10 but old priest writ
large; tho one was ~ intolerant - the
other.
Next In importance among those who
oame to be called Puritans were the Inde-
pendsnts, here defined as perSons who had
cut loose from the Established Curoh. or.
perhaps. as our author deems II better
to say. had been turned out Of that
body. -They set up for themselves.
each little congregation managing its own
religious affairs. The Independents had
little interest in the religious beliefs Of
Others and were wiling for the most part
to tolerate almost any one. even Roman
Catholics and Jews; In return they demanded
toleration for themselves. As regards
their tolerant spirit, the QUakerB arc their
modern representatives while in respect Of
religious organization. or non-organiza-
ton. the Congregational denomination in
England and the United States Is the lineal
successor Of the independents. Mr. Chan
ming goes on to .show that at the extreme
left Of the Puritan line were few earnest
-i- - >AA>~.>l "a hn i4A~A ~ RAk,~xA