USA > Massachusetts > The Quaker invasion of Massachusetts > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
127
OF MASSACHUSETTS
show that at Ipswich and Salem alone, during the four years from 1658 to 1661 in- clusive, there were one hundred and thirty- eight convictions for attending Quaker meet- ings and absence from public worship. As there were but two hundred and eight Sabbaths in the four years, the number of convictions seems sufficiently great, but, had there been a separate conviction for each offense, it would be very much greater. The officials would allow their victims to live unmolested for several consecutive weeks, and would then swoop down upon them. The following entries illustrate their methods.
County Court, Salem, 20th 5mo 1658. - " Provided Sothwick convicted of her being frequently absent from publike worship on the Lord's day & alsoe is sensured to pay 20$ for being present at two meetings of Quakers and alsoe is to be sett by the feet in the stockes one hower for chargeing the court to be persecutors - to pay 5s costs court."
" Nicholas Phelps is sensured by this court to pay 40s to the treasurer of this county for defending a quakers meeting & allsoe to be sent to the house of correction
128
THE QUAKER INVASION
at Ipswich for owning himselfe to be a quaker & there to continue this Courts pleasure : to pay costs 30s."
"30 : 9mo. 1658. The wife of George Gardner is fined by this Court 40s for 8 dayes absence from ye publique worship of God; the Lord's daies."
The iron rule of conformity was nowhere more savagely enforced than in Massachu- setts. When at last Quaker fidelity to the cause of religious liberty overcame the al- most indomitable will of the rulers and achieved a lasting triumph over despotic bigotry, toleration succeeded persecution with beneficent results. All dread, real or pretended, of violence and disorder, van- ished, and the Quakers were recognized as law - abiding citizens, upright, intelligent, peaceable, and useful members of society.
We are constantly reminded that in order to judge the policy and acts of the Puritans fairly we must remember that the colony was settled during the first half of the sev- enteenth, and not the last half of the nine- teenth century. Only superficial criticism will apply the tests of our present civiliza- tion to events that occurred two hundred and twenty years ago. That which would
OF MASSACHUSETTS. 129
be condemned in Boston to-day might have been applauded in Boston in 1660. These suggestions are pertinent, but are they not equally so when the Quakers are called to judgment ? Let the persecutor and his vic- tim stand or fall by the same rules of his- torical criticism. One representative writer 1 draws a pleasant picture of the peaceable, refined, and genial Quaker whom one may meet at any time in our streets and public ass. nblies, and to whom the epithet " sly " is t: : harshest that can be applied. This exer plary citizen, he assures the reader, is a wy different person from the Quaker with whom the Puritans had to deal. This inge ions appeal would be more just had it been supplemented by the further reminder that the liberal, courteous, and progressive descendants from Puritan stock seen in our business marts, court-rooms, and pulpits, and to whom the epithet " smart Yankee " is the most severe we can apply, is a very different man from the Puritan with whom the early Quakers dealt. The contrast be- tween Elizabeth Hooten and Lucretia Mott is. far less marked than the contrast be- t veen Edmund Batter and Nathaniel Very,
1 Dr. Ellis.
9
130
THE QUAKER INVASION
the present treasurer of the town of Salem. Our Buffums, Shattucks, and Southwicks are not exact copies of their Quaker ances- tors who bore these names, and we shall all agree that our well-known Endicotts, Nor- tons, and Higginsons are a vast imp ove- ment upon their Puritan forefathers.
The age of Puritanism was an age of re- ligions bigotry, intolerance, and persecution, relieved, however, by the liberal teaching of Milton and many other enlightened m 1 of genius and talent. In New England, I 10de Island was the silver lining to the dark loud that overhung Massachusetts. The liberal principles and policy of Williams, Arnold, and the Quakers, Coddington and Easton, put to shame the rulers of this colony. The average New England Puritan was fai be- hind contemporary English reformers, but the rulers here were behind the average New England Puritan. This was partly due to the system of government by which all citizens except church - members were disfranchised. The magistrates and min- isters were reactionists, and were not sus- tained even by their own followers. Their mission here, accepting their own statement as to what it was, met with a richly de-
OF MASSACHUSETTS. 131
served fate. It was almost a complete fail- ure. Their plan of government was re- pudiated and was succeeded by wiser polit- ical arrangements and more humane laws. Their religion, though it long retained its hold in theory, was displaced by one less bigoted and superstitious. It is now a thing of the past, a mere tradition, an antiquated curiosity.
The early Quakers, or some of them, in common with the Puritans, may illustrate some of the least attractive characteristics of their time ; but they were abreast, if not in advance, of the foremost advocates of re- ligious and civil freedom. They were more tha advocates; they were the pioneers who by their heroic fortitude, patient suffering, and persistent devotion rescued the old Bay colony from the jaws of the certain death to which the narrow and mistaken policy of the bigoted and sometimes insin- cere founders had doomed it. They forced them to abandon pretentious claims, to ad- mit strangers without insulting them, to tol- erate religious differences, and to incorpo- rate into their legislation the spirit of liberty which is now the life-blood of our institu- tions. The religion of the society of Friends
.
132
THE QUAKER INVASION
is still an active force, having its full share of influence upon our civilization. The vital principle -"The Inward Light " - scoffed at and denounced by the Puritans as a de- lirium, is recognized as a profound spiritual truth by sages and philosophers.
APPENDIX.
-
COLONIAL LAWS FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF QUAKERS. MASS. RECORDS, VOL. IV.
Att a Generall Court, held at Boston 14, of Octo- ber, 1656.
WHEREAS there is a cursed sect of hæreticks lately risen vp in the world, wch are cononly called Quakers, who take vppon them to be ime- diate y sent of God and infallibly asisted by the spirit to speake & write blasphemouth opinions, despising gouernment & the order of God in church & comonwealth, speaking evill of dig- nitjes, reproaching and revjling magistrates and ministers, seeking to turne the people from the faith, & gajne proseljtes to theire pernicious wajes, this Court, taking into serious considera- tio.1 the p'mises, and to prevent the like mis- chiefe as by theire meanes is wrought in our native land, doth hereby order, and by the au- thoritje of this Court be it ordered and enacted, that what master or commander of any ship, barke, pinnace, catch, or of any other vessell that shall henceforth bring into any harbor, creeke, or coue wthin this jurisdiccon any knoune Quaker
134
APPENDIX.
or Quakers, or any other blasphemous hæreticks, as aforesajd, shall pay, or cawse to be pajd, the fine of one hundred pounds to the Tresurer of the countrje, except it appeare that he wanted true knowledg or information of theire being such ; and in that case he hath libertje to cleare himself by his oath when sufficijent proofe to the contrary is wanting, and for default of pay- ment, or good securitje for it, shall be committed to prison, & there to contjnew till the sajd some be sattisfied to the Tresurer as aforesajd ; and the comander of any such ship or vessell that shall bring them (being legally convicted) shall giue in sufficijent securitje to the Goûns", or any one or more of the magistrates who haue power to determine the same, to carry `them backe to the place whence he brought them ; and, on his refusall so to doe, the Gouernor, or one or more of the magistrates, are hereby im- powered to issue out his or theire warrants to comitt such master or comander to prison, there to continew till he shall give in sufficijent secu- ritje to the content of the Gouerno" or any of the magistrates as aforesajd. And it is hereby further ordered & enacted, that what Qu' ker soeuer shall arive in this countrje from forraigne parts, or come into this jurisdiccon from any parts adjacent, shall be forthwith comitted to the house of correction, and at theire entrance to be seuerely whipt, and by the master thereof to be kept constantly to worke, & none suffered to converse or speak wth them during the time of
135
APPENDIX.
the.re imprisonment, wch shall be no longer than necessitje requireth. And further, it is ordered, if any pson shall knowingly import into any harbor of this jurisdiccon any Quakers bookes or writings concerning theire diuilish opinions, shall pay for euery such booke or writting, being legally prooued against him or them, the some of five pounds ; and whosoeuer shall disperse or conceale any such booke or writing, and it be found wth him or her, or in his or her howse, and shall not immediately deliuer in the same to the next magistrate, shall forfeite and pay five pour ds for the dispersing or concealeing of every such booke or writing.
And it is hereby further enacted, that if any person wthin this colonje shall take vppon them to defend the hæretticall opinions of the sajd Quakers, or any of theire bookes or papers as aforesajd, ex annimo, if legally prooved, shall be fined for the first time forty shillings; if they shi Il persist in the same and shall so againe de- fend it, the second time fower pounds; if still, notwithstanding, they shall againe so defend & m tintajne the sajd Quakers hæretticall opinions, they shall be comitted to the howse of correc- tion till there be convenjent passage for them to be sent ont of the land, being sentenced by the Court of Asistants to banishment. Lastly it is heereby ordered, that what pson or persons soeuer shall revile the office or pson of magis- trates or ministers, as is usuall with the Quakers, such person or psons shall be seuerely whipt, or
136
APPENDIX.
pay the some of five pounds. This order was publised 21 : 8 mº, 56, in seuerall places of Boston, by beate of drumme.
Att a Gennerall Court, held at Boston, 14 of October, 1657.
As an addition to ye late order in reference to the coming or bringing in any of the cursed sect of the Quakers into this jurisdiction, it is or- dered, that whosoever shall from henceforth bring or cawse to be brought, directly or indi- rectly, any knoune Quaker or Quakers, or other blasphemous hæreticks, into this jurisdiccon, euery such person shall forfeite the some of one hundred pounds to ye countrje, and shall by war- rant from any magistrate be committed to prison there to remajne till the penalty be sattisfjed and pajd ; and if any person or persons wthin this jurisdiccon shall henceforth entertajne and conceale any such Quaker or Quakers or other blasphemous hæreticks, (knowing them so to be) euery such person shall forfeite to the countrye forty shillings for euery howers entertainment and concealement of any Quaker or Quakers, as aforesajd, and shall be comitted to prison, as aforesajd, till the forfeitures be fully sattisfied and pajd.
And it is further ordered, that if any Quaker or Quakers shall presume, after they haue once suffered what the lawe requireth, to come into this jurisdiccon, euery such male Quaker shall for the first offenc haue one of his eares cutt
137
APPENDIX.
off, and be kept at worke in the howse of cor- rection till he cann be sent away at his oune charge, and for the second offene shall have his other eare cutt of, &c. and kept at the howse of correction, as aforesaid ; and euery woman Quaker that hath suffered the lawe heere that shall presume to come into this jurisdiccon shall be severely whipt, and kept at the howse of cor- rection at worke till she be sent away at hir oune-charge, and so also for hir coming againe she shall be alike vsed as aforesajd; and for enery Quaker, he or she, that shall a third tjme heerein againe offend, they shall haue theire toungues bored through wth a hot iron, & kept at the howse of correction, close to worke, till thev be sent away at theire oune charge. And it is further ordered, that all & enery Quaker arising from amongst ourselves shall be dealt wth & suffer the like punishment as the lawe provides against forreigne Quakers.
At a Gennerall Courte held at Boston, the 19th of May, 1658.
That Quakers and such accursed hæreticques arising amongst ourselves may be dealt withall according to theire deserts, and that theire pes- tilent errors and practizes may speedily be pre- vented. itt is heereby ordered, as an addition to the former lawe against Quakers, that enery such person or persons professing any of their Fernitions wajes, by speaking, writting, or by meetings on the Lords day, or any other tjme,
138
APPENDIX.
to strengthen themselves or seduce others to theire djabolljcall doctrine, shall, after dne meanes of conviction incurre the penalty ensuing ; that is, euery person so meeting shall pay to the countrje for euery tjme tenn shillings, and euery one speaking in such meetings shall pay five pounds a peece, and in case any such person hath binn punished by scourging or whipping the first time, according to the former lawes, shall be still kept at worke in the house of cor- rection till they put in securitje wth two sufficjent men that they shall not any more vent theire hatefull errors, nor vse theire sinfull practizes, or els shall depart this jurisdiction at theire oune charges ; and if any of them returne againe, then each such person shall incurre the penalty of the lawes formerly made for straingers.
Att the second Sessions of the Generall Court, held at Boston, the 19th of October, 1658.
Whereas there is a pernitious sect, comonly called Quakers, lately risen, who, by word & writing, haue published & maintayned many dajngerous & horrid tennetts, and doe take vpon them to chainge and alter the received landable customes of our nation in giving cinill respect to æqualls or reuerence to superiors, whose actions tend to vndermine the authority of civill gouern- ment, as also to destroy the order of the churches, by denying all established formes of worship, and by wthdrawing from the orderly church assembljes allowed & approoved by all
139
APPENDIX.
orthodox proffessors of the truth, and insteed thereof, and in opposition therevnto, frequenting private meetings of theire oune, insinuating themselves into the minds of the simpler, or such as are lesse affected to the order & gouern- ment in church and comonwealth, whereby die- uerse of our inhabitants haue binn infected & seduced, and notwthstanding all former lawes made (vpon experience of theire arrogant, bold obtrusions to disseminate theire principles amongst vs) prohibbitting theire coming into this jurisdiction, they haue not binn deterred from theire impetuous attempts to vndermine our peace and hasten our ruine.
For prevention whereof, this Court doth order and enact, that euery person or persons of the cursed sect of the Quakers, who is not an in- habitant off but found wthin this jurisdiction, shall be app'hended (without warrant), where no magistrate is at hand, by any connstable, comis- sioner, or selectman, and conveyed from conn- stable to connstable, vntill they come before the next magistrate, who shall comitt the sajd per- sou or persons to close prison, there to remajne with out bayle vntill the next Court of Asis- tants, where they shall have a legall trjall by a speciall jury, & being convicted to be of the sect of the Quakers, shall be sentenced to bannish- ment, vpon pajne of death ; and that euery in- habitant of this jurisdiction being convicted to be of the aforesajd sect, either by taking vp, publishing, & defending the horrid opinions of
140
APPENDIX.
the Quakers, or by stirring vp mutiny, sedition, or rebelljon against the government, or by taking vp theire absurd and destructiue practises, vizt, denying civil respect & reuerence to æqualls & superiors, wthdrawing from our church assem- bljes, & insteed thereof frequenting private meetings of their onne in opposition to church order, or by adhering to or approoving of any knoune Quaker, or the tenetts & practises of the Quakers, that are opposite to the orthodoxe re- ceived opinions & practises of the godly, and endeavoring to disaffect others to ciuill gouern- ment & church order, and condemning the prac- tise & proceedings of this Court agains; the Quakers, manifesting thereby theire compljance wth those whose designe it is to ouerthrow the order established in church and comonwealth, euery such person, vpon examination & legall conviction before the Court of Asistants, in manner as aboue sajd, shall be comitted to close prison for one moneth, and then, vnlesse hey choose voluntarily to depart the jurisdiction, shall giue bond for theire good abbearance & ap- pearance at the next Court of Asistants, where continuing obstinate and refusing to retract & reforme the aforesajd opinions and practises, shall be sentenced to bannishment upon pajne of death ; and in case of the aforesajd voluntary departure, not to remajne or againe to returne into this jurisdiction wthout the alowance of the major part of the councill first had & published, on penalty of being banished vpon pajne of
5
141
APPENDIX.
death ; and any one magistrate, vpon informa- tion giuen him of any such person, shall cause them to be app'hended, and if, vpon examination of the case, he shall, according to his best dis- cretion, finde just ground for such complainte, he shall comitt such person to prison vntill he come to his trjall, as is aboue expressed.
Att a Generall Court of Election, held at Boston, 22d May, 1661.
This Court, being desirous to try all meanes, wth as much lenity as may consist wth our safety, to prevent the intrusions of the Quakers, who, besides theire absurd & blasphemous doctrine, doe, like rouges & vagabonds, come in vpon vs, & haue not bin restreined by the lawes already provided, haue ordered, that enery such vaga- bond Quaker found wthin any part of this juris- dicti on shall be app'hended by any person or persons, or by the connstable of the toune wherein he or she is taken, & by the connstable, or, in his absence, by any other person or per- sons conveyed before the next magistrate of that shei e wherein they are taken, or comissioner invested wth magistratticall power, & being by the . sajd magistrate or magistrates, commissioner or comissioners, adjudged to be a wandering Qua- ker, vizt, one that hath not any dwelling or or- derly allowance as an inhabitant of this jurisdic- tion, & not giving ciuil respect by the vsuall gestures thereof, or by any other way or meanes manifesting himself to be a Quaker, shall, by
142
APPENDIX.
warrant vnder the hand of the sajd magistrate or magistrates, comissioner or commissioners, ?" rected to the connstable of the toune wherein he or she is taken, or in absence of the connstable, or any othere meete person, be stripped naked from the midle vpwards, and tjed to a carts tayle, & whipped throh the toune, & from thence imediately conveyed to the connstable of the next toune, towards the borders of our jurisdic- tion, as theire warrant shall direct, & so from connstable to connstable till they be conveyed throh any the outward most tounes of our juris- diction. And if such vagabond Quaker shall returne againe, then to be in like manner tapp'- hended & conveyed as often as they shall be found wthin the limitts of our jurisdiction, pro- vided euery such wandering Quaker, hauing beene thrice convicted & sent away as aboue- sajd, & returning againc into this jurisdiction, shall be app'hended & comitted by any magis- trate or comissioner as abouesajd vnto the house of correction wthin that county wherein he or shee is found untill the next Court of hat County, where, if the Court judge not meet ; to release them, they shall be branded with the letter R on theire left shoulder, & be seve ely whipt & sent away in manner as before ; and if after this he or shee shall returne againe, then to be proceeded against as incorrigible rogues & ennemys to the common peace, and shall immediately be app'hended & committed to the comon jayle of the country, and at the next
143
APPENDIX.
Court of Asistants shall be brought to theire tryall, & proceeded agt according to the lawe made anno 1658, page 36, for theire banish- ment on payne of death. And for such Qua- kers as shall arise from amongst ourselves, they shall be proceeded agt as the former lawe of anno 1658, page 36, doth provide, vntill they have beene convicted by a Court of Asistants ; & being so convicted, he or shee shall then be bar nished this jurisdiction; & if after that they shall be found in any part of this jurisdic- tio , then he or shee so sentenced to banishment shall be proceeded against as those that are straingers & vagabond Quakers in manner as is abcue expressed. And it is further ordered, that whatsoeuer charge shall arize about app'- hending, whipping, conveying, or otherwise, about the Quakers, to be layd out by the conn- stribles of such tounes where it is expended, & to be repajd by the Tresurer out of the next country levy ; and further, that the connstables of the seuerall tounes are hereby empowred from time to time, as necessity shall require, to impresse cart, oxen, & other asistance for the execution of this order.
The following Scriptural argument, " To vin- dicate the justice of this Courts proceedings in refference to the Quakers," was circulated throughout the Mass. Colony, by order of the " Generall Court" Oct. 18th, 1659 :
144
APPENDIX.
Many of that sect of people which are com- only called Quakers hauing, from forreine parts & from other colonjes, come at soundry times and in seuerall companjes & noumbers into this jurisdiction of the Massachusetts, & those lesser punishments of the house of corrections & in- prisonment for a tjme hauing beene inflicted on some of them, but not sufficing to deterr & keepe them away, but that still they haue pre- sumed to come hither, vpon no other ground or occasion (for ought that could appeare) but : to scatter theire corrupt opinions, & to drawe oth rs to theire way, & so to make disturbance, and tnc honnored Generall Court having herevpon made an order & lawe, that such persons should be bannished & remooved hence, on pajne of death, to be inflicted on such of them, as after theire bannishment should presume to returne & comne hither againe, the making & execution of the aforesajd lawe may be cleered to be warrantable & just vpon such grounds & considerations as these, viz. :
1. The doctrine of this sect of people is de- structive to fundamentall trueths of religion, as the sacred Trinitje, the person of Christ & the holy Scriptures, as a perfect rule of faith & life, as M' Norton hath shewed in his tractate against the Quakers; yea, that one opinion of theires, of being perfectly pure and wthout sinne, tends to ouerthrow the whole gospell & the very vitalls of Christianitje, for they that haue no sinne, haue no neede of Christ, or of his sattis-
APPENDIX. 145
faction, or his blood to cleanse them from theire sinne ; no need of faith to believe in Christ, for imputed righteousnes to justify them, as being perfectly just in themselves ; no neede of re- pentance, as being righteous & wthout sinne, for repentance is only for such as have sinne; no needle of growing in grace, nor of the word and ordinances of God, that they may grow thereby, for what neede they to grow better who are al- ready perfect ? no neede of Christian watchful- nes against sinne who haue no such ennemy as sinne dwelling in them, as Paul had, but are free from the presence and being of sinne, & therefore Christ needs not to say to them, as sometimes to his disciples, ' Watch & pray, that yee enter not into temptation ; the spirit is will- ing but the flesh is weake'; for hauing no such flesh: or weakenesse in them, they haue no such neede of watchfulnesse; they haue no neede to purify themselves dayly, as all Christians should, for they are perfectly pure already ; no neede to put off the old man and put on the new, like the Christians to whom Paul wrote his Epistles, for what neede they to doe this when they are al- ready wthout sinne, and so wthout all remainders of the old man ? Such fundamentalls of Chris- tianitje are ouerthroune by this one opinion of theires, & how much more by all theire other doctrines ! Now, the comandment of God is plajne, that he that presumes to speake lyes in the name of the Lord & turne people out of the way which the Lord hath comanded to walk in,
10
146
APPENDIX.
such an one must not liue, but be put to death ; Zach. 13: 3; Deut. 13: 6; & 18: 20; & if the doctrine of the Quakers be not such, let the wise judge.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.