The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-11


for all men," but also to face perlls
inevitable In human nature and within
their own organism. The fanaticism
of one crank, who accused the par
sons wife of worldliness and extrav-
agance in feminine frippery, threat
ened for months to disrupt the band.
In fact, the other six or more similar
congregations of English Separatists
then In Amsterdam. because of intes-
tine quarrels, buried their names in
oblivion.
JOHN ROBINSON, the teaching men,
Der Of this church republic. removed
his 1ock from Amsterdam to Leyden,
there to be alike free from internal
strife and safe from the clutch of
King JAMES, England's would-be cen
trailer III Ieyden they perfected
the working Of u free, self-governed
church in free State, whose ruler
did not NEEDLE with the individual
conscience. Their own officers were
elected by the vote of the coDgrega-
ton, and here were the rudiments OF
a national democratic republic. Here
was literally government for the PEG
pie, Of the people and by the people"
for all who qualified for membership.
Here was illustrated the truth that
1.-THE browning fact, the kingliest act,
of freedom is the freeman's vote"
For a decade of years in Leyden
this system. conceived and carried out
under the idea that IN matters OF con
science the civil magistrate has no
voice or power, was practised. The
documents attesting this are patent to
all who care to read the contempora-
neous writings of WILLIAM the ST.
lent, ROBINSON, BRADFoRD, WINsLow,
MORTON, and others of the Separatlst
company, III Scrooby, Leyden and
Plymouth. These men, who applied
democracy to religion, were as truly
fathers of the American Republic as
w
SON and ADAMS, and the sgners Of
70, or of the fundamental law of
1887. Neither document thus dated
was struck off Both were In the
line of Il true evolution from existing
precedents ana tested experiences.
The written compact of November
IL. 1920, was but the outgrowth and
expansion Of the experience and
organic life of the Pilgrim Fathers
and Mothers ut Scrooby, Amsterdam
and in Leyden. II was therefore
fitted, while on the ocean and away
from civilization, to meet the double
needs of the hour. They faced y
condition, not IL theory. Theirs was
an Acknowledgement of dangers from
within because of the "mutterlngs'
of irresponsible persons "shuffled
in" against their purpose and desire.
by the London Company. which had
financed them. The heterogeneous
aggregation, that is, the enforced
list Of the Mayflowers passengers,
made up after the heart of the cap
tain of. the Speedwell-the original
Pilgrim ship chartered By them-was
not OF the free churhmen's choosing.
it was these hitherto unknown ele-
ments. swept or gathered up from II
great city, that threatened insubordi-
nation and disorder when once on
land.
1t is perfectly absurd to suppose
that the shlpload Of people sent from
London was in any sense the Pill
grim company that had started on the
Speedwell, or was any real part Of its
spirit or it's body. The leaders and
the men and women who faced all
difficulties and won out were almost
to n soul those who had been in the
church republic at Leyden.
In word, government of order,
with power. was formed by these men
already disciplined by self-govern-
ment within q federal republic. who
made for us the great precedent for
the three centuries which have gone
and for those that are TO come Away
from all known forms OF government.
they became. on ship and shore, what
they and their pastor. john RoRISsoN,
had already in Leyden nominated ana
voted. namely, n body polite
During the .ecent celebrations in
August and. September there was
striking contrast in the tone and form
Of the addresses I'm Holland as com
pared with those in Great Britain.
This was noticed and commented upon
by the American delegates Those in
Holland were in every case religious
ana historical Both the native and
foreign speakers, representing seven
countries. gloried in the freedom
which the Dutch Republic had ever
given 10 refugees, whether for polit-
teal reasons or for conscience sake.
The golden words of WILLIAM the
Silent 10 the magistrates In 1870. and
made the practice OF the Dutch Com
monwenlth, were: "You have no
right TO interfere with the conscience
Of any one so long az he works no
publir scandal or mn injury 70 his