THOSE who are laboring to procure an amendment to our National Constitution, in favor of religion, strongly profess their apprehension that infidelity and even Paganism will run riot in our fair land if not restrained by the strong arm of civil law. They are not the first to indulge such fears. Two centuries ago our worthy sires of New England engaged in the same laudable work, and carried it on to considerable success in some instances, as the "heretics and malignants called Quakers," and also the Baptists, could testify, having experienced some of the "tender mercies" of those who were zealous for the honor of our longsuffering and compassionate Saviour.
But sometimes their plans miscarried, as in the following case. This letter from a very pious Puritan explains itself. It cannot fail to be of interest at this time, as a bit of history which is so nearly trying to repeat itself, at its second centennial:—
"September, 1682.
"TO YE AGED AND BELOVED JOHN HIGGINSON:—
"There be now at sea a shippe (for our friend Esias Holdercraft, of London, did advise me by the last packet that it would sail sometime in August) called ye Welcome, R. Greenwas, Master, which has aboard a hundred or more of ye heretics and malignants called Quakers, with W. Penn, who is ye scamp at ye head of them. Ye General Court has accordingly given secret orders to Master Malachi Huxett, of ye brig Porpoise, to waylay ye said Welcome, as near ye coast of Codd as may be, and make captives of ye Penn and his ungodly crew, so that ye Lord may be glorified and not mocked on ye soil of this new country with ye heathen worships of these people. Much spoil can be made by selling ye whole lot to Barbadoes, where slaves fetch good prices in rumme and sugar; and we shall not only do ye Lord great service by punishing ye wicked, but shall make gayne for his ministers and people.
"Yours, in ye bowels of Christ,
"COTTON MATHER."
We recommend this as a model for those ardent Christians who are so intent upon putting down, by human authority, those who presume "to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences," in this age of enlightened Christian liberty. Cotton Mather was a man of undoubted piety, zealous for the cause of God, and a fine example of what "zeal toward God, but not according to knowledge," will produce. An order to "waylay ye ungodly scamps" of these last days who refuse to observe "ye venerable day of ye sun," would be refreshing to the senses of those whose souls long for "Christian legislation" against those Mordecais who refuse to bow to their ideas, and to accept as Christianity their own mixture of Platonism and Roman Catholicism. If there is no hope of "making gayne for the ministers" by selling them in exchange for "rumme and sugar," they might still be made to add to the interest of religion by putting them up to be "raffled for" in a "church fair," and thus make "fun for the million," who are invited as pleasure-seekers to fill the treasury of the Lord! We have Scripture example for this, too. Samson was used for a similar purpose; but we let each one carry out the comparison to suit his own taste.
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