Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-06-01
Saint Maru's Beacon
MARYLAND TOLERATION.


Protestant intolerance.
call attention again to the state
ment OF Gen. Bradley Johnson quot
ed above.
In support Of the third PROPOSE
ton there is an embarrassment OF
riches. Mr.. Hall, in the work al
ready quoted, pages GO and SO. gives
some interesting details Of religious
liberation and concludes: 1T is
clear, therefore, that the principle
of religious federation prescribed by
Lord Baltimore was fully recognized
and was enforced before the enact
ment in the province of any statute
upon the subject. On page 81 he
says: "a large proportion of the
company was composed of men bound
to service, and these apparently
were mostly Professionals. Ofthe &C
tual settlers, men OF fortune, who
went to take up lands and immedi-
ately became free men Of the pro-
vince, it is probable that the majority
were Roman Catholics but it is also
likely that they constituted but
minority of the entire number of col
onists."
Bancroft, in the Centenary edition.
volume !, page 1876, says: "Tolera-
ton grew up in the province silent
ly as a custom Of the land. Through
the benignity of the administration
no person protesting to believe in
the divinity OF Jesus Christ was per-
mitted to be molested on account Of
religion.
Bancroft, in the Centenary edition,
volume 2. PACED, says: "Emigrants
arrived from every cline and the
Colonial Legislature extended its
sympathies to many nations. as well
as many sects. From France came
Huguenots, from Germany, from Hol-
land, from Sweden, from Finland, |
believe from Piedmont, these child
rem of misfortune sought protection
under the tolerant scepter OF the
Roman Catholic. The empire of JUS
tice and humanity, according to the
light OF those days, had been CON-
plete but for the sufferings of the
people called Quakers. Yet they
were not prosecuted for their religi-
Gus worship, which was held public
ly and without interruption"
Mcmahon says, page 220: Never,
says DIR. Ramsay, did a people enjoy
more happiness than the people OF
Maryland under Cecilius of the pro-
vince, and on his tombstone, says
the more accurate Chalmers, ought
TO be engraved that while fanatic.
ism deluged the empire, he refused
his consent to the repeal of law
which in the true spirit of Christi
anity gave liberty OF conscience TO
ALL" This same author, on page
226, says: This system of religi-
Gus federation was coeval with the
colony itself and sprang from the
liberal and sagacious views OF the
first proprietary"
Gen. Bradley Johnson, in the PAM
phlet already referred to, says,
page 81: THE first colony was
numerically Protestant politically.
socially and religiously it was Ro-
man Catholic. The physical power
was Protestant, the intellectual and
moral and political control was Ro-
man Catholic" On page ia he
further adds: mo cruelty nor OPP
preston ever existed under Cecil or
Charles Calvert" For a COMPARE
son with Virginia and Massachusetts
the reader is referred to Mr.. Halls
book, pages 81 and SO.
For the fourth proposition the
reader is referred to the "untrust-
worthy" Bancroft sixteenth edition,
volume 3, page 80: I'm 17l2a State
religion was established in Mary
land and Virginia. The Roman Cath
olics alone were left without an ally
exposed to English bigotry and
Colonial injustice. They alone were
DISTINGUISHED on the soil which, long
before Locke pleaded for federation
or Penn for religious freedom, they
had chosen, not as their own asylum
only, but with Catholic liberality,
as the asylum of every prosecuted
sect. In the land which Catholics
opened to Protestants the Catholic
inhahitant was the sole victim of
Anglican intolerance. Mass might
not be said publicly. No Catholic
priest or bishop might utter his
faith. No Catholic might teach the
young"
Bancroft, Centenary edition, VOL
ume 2, page 3: ITO secure the es-
adjustment of the Anglican Church
misrepresentation were not spared.
Maryland, said Clergyman of the
church, lis pesthouse ofiniquity.
The cure for all evil was to be an
established support OF a Protestant
ministry" The prelates demanded