views of our fathers: and it is believed that they are the views of all sober, humane and lawabiding people, at this present time. In the application of these principles, the Puritans may possibly have erred in some particular cases, without being more prone to error than mortals generally are.

Other measures failing to put a stop to the disturbances, a law was made for banishing such as were convicted thereof, on pain of death in case they returned. Some may be shocked at this, as well as at the extreme commonness of capital punishments for minor offences throughout the civilized world in that sterner age. But they who condemn them for resorting so freely to this dreadful penalty ought to consider that this country was not then provided with prisons fit for the confinement and employment of convicts for life or long terms of years. If a criminal could not be adequately punished by fines and personal chastisement, the legislators knew not how to dispose of him except by hanging, or banishment under pain of hanging in case of returning to the jurisdiction.

Under this statute four quakers were hanged for so returning. Some of these had repeated the offence. The court felt compelled to enforce the law, or give up the attempt to maintain civil

government. Upon the execution of two of these unhappy enthusiasts, the General Court printed a declaration, dated the eighteenth of October, 1659, explaining the grounds of their proceedings. From this document it appears evident, that they considered the sufferers to be engaged in seditious and treasonable designs to overthrow the government of the country. Be it, that this was a mistake, which is by no means admitted, our fathers sincerely thought that such was the fact; and felt constrained to resort to strong measures for their own security. Remarking that other penalties had proved to be "too weak a defence against the impetuous fanatic fury" of these intruders, they say that they were "necessitated to endeavor their own security," by enacting a law, "that such persons should be banished on pain of death, according to the example of England in their provision against Jesuits." They contend that their "own just and necessary defence called upon them, other means failing, to offer the point which these persons have violently and willfully rushed upon, and thereby become felones de se." They appeal to the repeated reprieves which were easily granted to some of the offenders; which, say they, "will manifestly evince we desire their lives absent, rather than their death present."

And truly, the circumstances are calculated to call to mind the characteristic remark of Luther ;"He that bringeth himself into needless dangers, dieth the devil's martyr." Thus poor Mary Dyer, having been sentenced to execution for "rebellious sedition and and obtruding herself after banishment upon pain of death," was reprieved on condition that she speedily departed and did not return. Return she did, within a few months, and suffered accordingly. She was the last who suffered under that law, which was suspended soon after by order of the king; as would have been voluntarily done by the General Court itself, had it not been anticipated by the royal rescript, after the law had been in force about three years.*

Among other instances we read of the whipping of two Quaker women at Salem. Upon this, our hearts are ready to ache, that these hapless females should thus suffer merely for religion. But how was it? Were they scourged merely for cherishing Quaker principles? By no means:—but for appearing in the churches in open day wholly divested of apparel. The poor misguided creatures professed to be acting prophetically, under special divine inspiration, as a

* Hubbard's History. Ch. LXV.

sign of the naked truth, and as a sign of the nakedness of the land. It would be hard to say when gentle castigation was ever merited, if not then! When Roger Williams afterwards reproached George Fox with this scandalous procedure on the part of his female disciples, Fox, in his printed reply, applauds it as a pious and admirable action, and raises a horrid outcry of indignation against the persecuting magistrates who punished them for it.

The Quakers, in their way, and an ugly way it was, were as intolerant as possible. Williams, who, next to Penn, was the greatest benefactor they ever had, received the most thankless usage at their hands, and his old age was embittered by them. He held public debates with them at Newport and Providence; of which he published an account, under the title, "George Fox digged out of his Burrows;"-Burroughs being the name of one of Fox's subalterns. Whoever reads this book is ready to regard it as the most abusive and scurrilous that ever was penned. But when he comes to read the reply by Fox and Burnyeat, entitled, "A New England Firebrand Quenched," he will presently begin to think that Williams' work is all milky mildness and silky softness.

The Quakers sometimes dealt pretty hard

measure to one another. In the year 1694, one of the followers of George Keith published a tract containing the following clauses;-" Since the English in New England hanged their countrymen for religion is thirty six years:since at Philadelphia, some did little less, by taking away goods, and imprisoning some, and condemning others without trial, for religious dissent, is three years."

But it is a painful and undesirable task to bring back to remembrance the errors of those who have so long reposed in their forgotten graves. There would we gladly leave them to rest in oblivion,

"Nor draw their frailties from their dread abode."

We wish to do no more than was needful to remove the unjust aspersions which had been cast upon our fathers, as though they had persecuted the most meek and inoffensive characters, for no other cause than mere difference of opinion on disputable points in religion. We have arrayed facts sufficient to show, that most of what is called their persecution was but the punishment of such violations of public order, as must ever be punished so long as the public peace is to be secured by law. We have showed, that the rest of their persecution natVOL. II. 12