and often proved, that, since the first rising of the Anabaptists, about one hundred years since, they have been the incendiaries of the commonwealths, and the infectors of persons in main matters of religion, and the troublers of churches in all places where they have been, and that they who have held the baptizing of infants unlawful have usually held other errors or heresies together therewith, though they have (as other heretics use to do) concealed the same till they spied out a fit advantage and opportunity to vent them, by way of question or scruple, &c., &c. ; it is ordered and agreed, that if any person or persons, within this jurisdiction, shall either openly condemn or oppose the baptizing of infants, or go about secretly to seduce others from the approbation or use thereof, or shall purposely depart the congregation at the administration of the ordinance, or shall deny the ordinance of magistracy, or their lawful right and authority to make war, or to punish the outward breaches of the first table, and shall appear to the court willfully and obstinately to continue therein after due time and means of conviction, every such person or persons shall be sentenced to banishment." * * Mass. Hist. Soc. Collections, Second Series, I. 210. Such was the law from which it plainly appears, that the practice of rebaptism was closely connected, in the minds of the legislators, with the German atrocities, as well as with hostility to government, and to the magistrates' care over good manners and morality. It is readily admitted, that, in the case of the Baptists of Massachusetts, there was no occasion for these fears. But it is no less true, that our fathers felt those fears, and acted honestly, though mistakenly, under the influence of those fears. They felt compelled to suppress what they deemed to be sentiments dangerous to the peace of civil society. It has been already intimated, that this law, the result of misapprehension, was not rigorously enforced. It was intended only for such as were deemed turbulent and factious offenders. This appears from a Declaration of the General Court holden at Boston, November fourth, 1646; and issued by order of court. From this we take the following paragraph. "They are offended also at our lawe against Anabaptists. The truth is, the great trouble we have been putt unto, and hazard also, by familistical and anabaptisticall spirits, whose conscience and religion hath been only to sett forth themselves and raise contentions in the country, did provoke us to provide for our safety by a lawe, that all such should take notice, how unwelcome they should be unto us, either comeing or staying. But for such as differ from us only in judgment, in point of baptism or some other points of lesse consequence, and live peaceably amongst us, without occasioning disturbance, &c., such have no cause to complaine; for it hath never beene as yet putt in execution against any of them, although such are knowne to live amongst us."* Thus did our fathers speak for themselves: and there is no reason to call their sincerity in question. The devastated fields of Germany were, in a manner, still smoking before their eyes. They knew, that there anabaptism was a conspiracy, whose declared object was the destruction by fire and sword, of every government and individual who would not submit to the new baptism. We may smile at these terrors of our good fathers, and we may regret the measures they adopted with a view to secure themselves from similar disasters. But to them the danger seemed real and imminent and it is no wonder that they acted like people in a state of alarm, who think of safety, rather than of questions of abstract rights. Time, and the good behavior of the : * Hutchinson's State Papers, p. 216. VOL. II. 11 Baptists, at last dispelled their fears, and gradually and speedily brought about an entire toleration. As some fault may be found with every one, so the Baptists themselves were not wholly without blame. They disturbed the public wor ship during the administration of infant baptism, and at other times, by openly manifesting their contempt in ways that gave great offence. They resorted also to other irregularities, which even good men are prone to do when excited by the ardor of a new reform, or the expectation of resistance to their views. These things tended still further to excite the apprehensions to which the community were already predisposed, that the Anabaptist sentiments had a natural and innate connection with contempt of magistrates and laws. Yet, from the beginning, men of that persua sion who were peaceably disposed, lived quietly among us, and even retained their membership in our churches. Two of the early presidents of Harvard College were known to be of this class. There was no disposition to trouble people merely for holding Baptist sentiments; unless, they also, in some way, infringed the public peace. Perhaps of all the sects which have become rather numerous in the world, the Baptists have been the least persecuted of any. In this country, a few, who made unnecessary difficulty, were banished: but, in general, they were patiently borne with, and suffered less and less of molestation; till the people became satisfied that they were an orderly and exemplary sect of Christians, and they have obtained the fullest equality of privileges, whether civil or religious. So early as the time of Dr. Increase Mather, we find him assisting to ordain the pastor of a Bap tist church in his neighborhood.* At the present time, it cannot be said, that there is any want of kind fraternal feeling between those brethren and "the standing order." The latter are certainly not the most backward to cultivate mutual charity and fraternal communion. Our fathers have been violently censured for their proceedings in reference to the Quakers, which is the only remaining point belonging to this subject which requires our consideration. Most of the allegations against the Puritans are derived from the writings of the Quakers themselves, which are violent and abusive beyond what any one can imagine who has not read them. Indeed much misapprehension has arisen in *Remarkables of Dr. I. Mather, p. 61. |