The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-17

COLON
There is evidence that the cergymen took considerable
liberty in their Of the liturgy Of the church, feeling free
to make departures therefrom when occasion seemed to
quire. There in the church from the beginning
without ORDERS who allowed small place in the
service work Of the church. 1t happened that the
vestries who had every authority this matter, selected
only lay readers to conduct the forms of worship rather than
to be at the Of securing having orders Were
time permitted there could be numerous citations by
which could be that early in the history of the colony
and maintaining itself steadily the spirit OF the Puritai
eager throw off elaborate forms ceremonies and take
itself Simple forms OF faith and services by the time
the church seriously assaulted by the growing nflu-
OF the dseners the people had in another
been prepared for rather easy transition from the
elaborate the simpler forms Of church life expression
Nor it be forgotten that the very persecution heaped
with increasing bitterness upon the dssenter they seemed
TO multiply numbers and in influence have rebounded
to the hurt and injury of the Church Ct England The in
tolerant spirit Of the royals and the conforms showed
itself early in the acts of the General Assembly, 1t will be
recalled that early in the history Of the colony by formal
action the Church OF England became the established
church OF the colonists and the support Of and the attend
upon whose service of duty laid vigorously
member of the colony These early acts how
ever were not passed with reference any other forms OF
religion because at the outset Of these forms
in the colony. In the OF 1861 provided
that ministers must be ordained by bishop in England,
and that all other preachers be banshed Every
person who refused attendance at the parish church for
Sunday to forfeit the payment Of fifty pounds Of
bacco Every nonconorms be fined twenty pounds
for months absence, and if he failed for year to put
his at the service of the church, he be
arrested and made give security for his future good be-
avior, in lieu thereof to remain prison until he was
willing to to church.
In "Henings Statutes" there recorded the one hun.
dred and eleventh Of the Grand Assembly Of 166162
which is as follows:
Whereas many schismatcal persons of averseness
to the orthodox established religion many new
tangled conceits of their herctca invention refuse to
have their children baptized be therefore enacted by the
authorities aforesaid that all persons contempt Of the
their child to lawful minister in that county to have
them baptized, shall be anlerced thousand pounds Of
tobacco, half to the nformer and half to the public"
Every historian has story OF the prosecutions heaped
the dissenter Mr.. White tells story Of band OF
who driven from Virginia for their religious opn
ions in 1884 Mr. Burke tells OF the savage barbarties
tctcd Stephenson Reek in 1910 He forced "o
stand IN the plory two hours with label his back pay
line OF fifty pounds and in prison at the pleasure OF
the Governor, Tor Simply saying in ocuar
Ills Majesty at confession with my Lord Canterbury"
And SO the dreadful story goes Mr.. James Madison cor
1oboratcd it all in strong statement thathe made in
writing to Philadelphia friend in I774: That diabolica
helconceived principle Of persecution ragged among them
and to their eternal inamy the clergymen can furnish their
quota OF mps for such purposes There at the present
time in the adjacent county not less than five or six wc
meaning in close Jail for procaing their religious sem
tlments, which in the quite orthodox" 1t was in.
evitabe but that the church. the minds of the people sun
posed to be back OF and authorizing these prosecutions