The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-10-09
BIRTHDAY OF
EARLY PATRIOT
IS RECALLED

Boston, Mass, Oct. S.-Patriotic
societies and Unitarian church organ
lzatlons OF New England recalled to-
day as the the two hundredth ami.
versary of the birth of Jonathan May
hey' Boston's liberal minister, who
was the first to preach in behalf of
liberty for the American colonies.
MAYHEM was a precursor of the
Unitarian movement, and made his
first mark by preaching against the
Introduction Of bishops into the col
onies. At the same time he sounded
an early note of liberty and union in
America in 1850, in a sermon in the
West church OF Boston. of which he
was pastor, THAI has been called the
morning gun o. the Revolution. The
sermon was on the execution of
Char 'es l, and the subject was fitting
for the introduction of the preachers
IDEAS II limiting allegiance to a
ruler.
From that time until his death May
hew advanced the thought that the
duty of the colonies was to declare
their religious freedom. He opposed
the bishops with all his might. His
liberality was such that the Congre-
gationalist ministers, who represent
ed the church in Boston, excluded him
from their association.
MAYHEM was friend of James
Otis and of other progressive men
who afterwald led in the patriotic
cause, and to them, in his pulpit, and
in the press, he advocated resistance
to the first small beginnings of ty-
ranny." During the popular upris-
ing against the enforcement of the
stamp act he was strong leader of
| popular thought.
On Sunday, Aug. 25, 1765, when
Boston was in the midst of its agi-
tation over the hated tax, Dr.. May
hew chose for his text the words: II
would they were even cut off which
trouble you"
These were strong words to come
from the pulpit, and they had great
effect. The next day nothing was
more talked about in Boston than the
sermon. Monday night there were
bcnfires in the streets. The roughter
element broke into private cellars,
got liqpor and began rioting. Pro
ceeding to the house of Thomas
Hutchinson, lieutenant governor, they
sacked it. Later they pulled down the
booth being erected as tax office,
and burned it.
This violence was deprecated by
DR.. Mayhem, and by the patriotic
leaders of Boston, but it had its ef-
feet in London, and the ministry oil
George Ill, on hearing Of it, and OF
similar acts in other parts Of the col
onies came to the conclusion that the
enforcement OF the stamp act was
scarcely feasible, after all.
Hone urged the repeal OF the stamp
act with greater fervency than May,
hew. In his sermon giving thanks
/ for the repeal OF the act in May, 1866
he pleaded again for civil and relig-
iuus liberty
On his deathbed he wrote James
Otis a litter which is one OF the first
recorded suggestions of the idea OF a
unoin of the colonies. His language
was as follows:
you have heard of the communion
Of the churches; while | was think
J ing OF tits in my bed, the great use
and importance of a communion oil
the colonies appeared to me in a
strong light. Would it not be decor
Gus for our assembly to send circu-
lars to all the rest, expressing de.
! sire to cement union among our
selves: good foundation has been
laid by the congress in New York;
never losing sight OF it may be the
means of perpetuatirs our liberties
Dr.. Mayhem lived but two months
longer. and the idea for which he
wrought terminated ten years before
the colonies declared their union and
| :,,Jnundanan