after passing into England, had crossed the Atlantic. The question between infant and adult baptism might certainly have been coolly debated and with much indulgence; but the extravagancies of John of Munster and King Matthias had created such a prejudice against them, that even Jeremy Taylor excluded them from that liberty of prophesying which he zealously claimed for other sects. Indeed, they seem to have attached an undue importance to their peculiar views, holding those who had received the rite in their infancy as still unbaptized and pagan. Obadiah Holmes. first formed a small congregation in the Plymouth territory, which rapidly spread, and seems generally to have absorbed the former classes of the movement. A sister of Mrs. Hutchinson embraced it, and made a convert of Williams, who, at an advanced age, was baptized anew. Its rise at Boston was at first obscurely indicated by the retirement of numbers from church before the rite was administered, who repaired to private meetings and secret rebaptism. The rulers had recourse to fines and even whipping; and, finding that these were endured with courage and constancy, they proceeded to inflict banishment. The leaders having been thus driven into the general receptacle at Rhode Island, the others sunk at least into a state of silence.

UT the tranquillity thereby obtained was of short duration; and it was followed by a schism which much more strongly agitated the colony, and involved it in deeper reproach. There had arisen a sect, who, from certain irregular bodily movements, received the derisive name. of Quakers. They seem to have proceeded to the utmost extremes, rejecting all human learning as well as ordinances, and placing their whole dependence on the direct agency of the Spirit. Williams, as we have seen, regarded this as the only source of religious instruction; but, believing it to be withheld, he placed the world in a state of entire spiritual darkness. This was completely remedied under the Quaker system; where every word and every action were understood to be guided by supernatural impulses. When these were so largely vouchsafed to the gifted prophets, there seemed no reason why, like those of the Old Testament, they should not be intrusted with messages and mandates to kings and cities, commanding obedience, announcing judgments, and indicating the means of averting them. The words conveying these orders being full in their minds, and occurring with peculiar force perhaps at midnight or in the solitude of the fields, were readily mistaken for divine communications. In executing such commissions, no regard was paid to human dignities, or to the rules and usages of society; hence they were branded as mad, though their writings are generally in a sober and reasoning tone.

W

HEN the Quakers were sent to different quarters of the world, it was natural that America should be included. The New England rulers, having heard of their proceedings with horror, and knowing the inflammable character of their own congregations, prepared to meet them with the most rigorous exclusion, and certainly without regard either to the forms or substance of law. In July, 1656, when Mary Fisher and Anne Austin arrived from Barbadoes, an officer was instantly sent on board, who conveyed them to prison, and seized all their books and papers, some of which were burned by the common executioner. They were denied pen, ink, paper, and candle, and a window which opened to the street was boarded up. After some weeks' confinement, the captain who brought them was obliged to take them away at his own expense, and give bond in £100 to land them in Europe. Mary was soon after honored by a message to the Grand Turk, from whom she met a far different reception.

HE rulers, having held the two prophetesses in such rigorous seclusion, hoped that all danger of contamination was prevented; but they were soon somewhat disconcerted upon receiving a remonstrance, tenderly entreating them to beware, lest they should be found fighting against God. The writer, who proved an old church member, was immediately fined and banished. England, however, sent out a continued succession, who found in Rhode Island a secure point upon which they could retreat, and whence they could advance. The narrative given by Captain Fowler of the voyage in which he took out Dorothy Waugh, exhibits the enthusiastic hopes with which some of these persons were filled. He describes them as "the servants of the Lord, coming with a mighty hand and outstretched arm." At a critical period of the passage, a mighty voice was heard: "the seed in America shall be as the sand of the sea." Very different was their reception at Boston, where fine, the lash, imprisonment, and finally death, awaited them. It ought, however, to be kept in mind that the magistrates merely intended to inflict banishment, which, in their actual circumstances, amounted only to exclusion. The former sectaries had submitted to this sentence, and the district had been cleared of them; but not so the Quakers, who had no sooner been thrust out than they reappeared, proclaiming their doctrines with the same loud and enthusiastic zeal. The extreme punishments, therefore, were inflicted, not on account of their opinions, but for returning from banishment. On the other hand, the prophets declared themselves to be

perfectly disposed to obey all lawful authority; but it rested in no respect with them whether they should or should not return; wherever the Lord sent them, they must go. They were told they should at least request permission to come within the bounds of a foreign jurisdiction; but they asked, "could the Lord of heaven and earth not send a message to the people of Boston without first asking their leave?" These messages, it must be owned, were by no means courteous. The town now named, which not without reason esteemed herself somewhat eminent for enlightened and true religion, was addressed as one of the guilty cities of old, on which fire might be expected to descend from heaven. John Rous wrote: "Boston is a withered leaf, the sap of the vine is departed from it; your profession is become barren; ye are departed from the Lord. How is thy beauty faded, thou that wast famous among the nations!" Elizabeth Horton ran through the streets during the night calling out, "that the Lord was coming forth with fire and sword to plead with Boston." The irreverent and opprobrious language applied to the most distinguished persons, even when seated on the tribunals, is particularly objected to, and seemingly not without reason, even judging by their own representations. Katherine Scott, sister to Mrs. Hutchinson, called out in court, "you take too much upon you, magistrates, more than ever God gave you;" and, at another time," the Lord open your blind eyes and soften your hard hearts. Alas for your blindness, that diabolical spirit that worketh in you!" Doubtless they pleaded their high commission as authorizing such language; but this was wholly disallowed by the opposite party. The female votaries, too, always the most fervid, displayed their zeal sometimes in a manner not quite becoming their sex. Several, to make their testimony effectual, considered it needful to lay aside their clothes. One began a march through Salem, another entered the church in this condition. We cannot certainly blame the magistrates for causing these prophetesses to be seized and committed to the house of correction; but we must not conceal our conviction that many of the proceedings against them were very little conformable either to English law or to natural justice. The severest punishments were inflicted simply for owning themselves to be those whom the world called Quakers, though they denied all ground for the use of the term, or the reproaches associated with it. They were punished for blasphemies, heresies, and diabolical opinions; yet no instances of these were specified, nor opportunity of explanation afforded. All the proof of these dreadful charges, received however as amply sufficient, was, that they said "thou and thee," and wore their hats. A party being under examination, one of whom used the word thee, the magistrate exclaimed, "We need no more, we see you

are Quakers." Some others having demanded how they were known as such, were answered, "We know you by your hats and your company." A party being indicted for having met and uttered blasphemies, they acknowledged meeting, but demanded proof of the blasphemy; to which Major-general Denison thought it enough to answer, "if ye meet together and say any thing, we may conclude ye speak blasphemy."

N spite of every exertion, the heresy spread, and seems to have absorbed many votaries of the previous sects. The watchful eye of the ministers soon observed the churches thinned, especially of their female auditors, and received the unwelcome explanation of a private meeting, held on the principles of the new teachers. Heavy fines were im

posed on all who resorted thither, or who even absented themselves from the congregational assemblies; on men who attended, but did not bring their wives along with them. Those who, in any way, harbored or encouraged Quakers incurred similar penalties, by which many citizens are said to have been ruined. But the principal operations were against the prophets themselves, who incessantly poured in from Rhode Island, and were no sooner banished with every kind of ignominy, than they instantly reappeared. This was met by a series of punishments on an ascending scale,-imprisonment, whipping, confiscation, branding with hot iron, cutting off the ears. The following schedule of the number of times, during the year 1697, that each infliction was borne by several of the leading characters, gives a striking picture of indomitable perseverance, both in persecuting and enduring:

These severities, as their repetition implies, were wholly ineffectual for subduing the resolution of the sufferers, or driving them out of the colony. They had also the most inauspicious influence among the people, on whom the view of great things done and suffered acts more powerfully than the strongest arguments. Every sentence publicly executed produced, it is said, a fresh body of converts. The rulers, finding the heresy continually grow under the means employed to suppress it, instead of trying a milder course, resolved on the most extreme severities. There remained now no penalty untried but death; this was proposed in the general court, and,

after much opposition, carried, though only by a single voice. The sentence, as already observed, was not for being Quakers, but for returning from banishment, repeatedly, defyingly, and in a manner which precluded all hope of their not persevering. It was declared more desirable to have them absent and alive, than present and dead; but there was no option. Full warning was given. Marmaduke Stevenson, William Robinson, and Mary Dyar, being found in the colony, were banished, receiving due notice of the doom which they would incur by returning. Having, however, received a fresh message to deliver at Boston, they deliberately resolved "to look their bloody laws in the face," and lay down their lives for the testimony. A distinguished Quakeress was moved to come, for the purpose of wrapping in linen the dead bodies of the martyrs; while several arrived from New York and other places to witness their death. "All these," says Bishope, "came in the moving and power of the Lord.” They were speedily thrown into prison, and the professors brought to trial. Being asked for their defence, they declared that they acted in obedience to a divine call, - describing how it was made, and their obligation to obey it. Sentence was pronounced and inflicted on Stevenson and Robinson, who endured it with unshaken fortitude. Mary Dyar, when on the ladder, was pardoned and sent to Rhode Island, with a strict injunction not to return; but this being, as usual, disregarded, she, too, afterwards suffered. William Leddra, being likewise found in the colony, was offered life on condition of promising not to return; but declaring, as usual, a total want of power to engage for himself, he was brought to the scaffold.

On the trial of William Leddra, the last of the sufferers, another Quaker named Wenlock Christison, who had been banished, came boldly into court with his hat on, and reproached the magistrate with shedding innocent blood. He was taken into custody and soon after brought to trial. When summoned to plead to the indictment, he desired to know by what law the court was authorized to put him upon trial for his life. The last enactment against the Quakers was cited to him. He then asked who empowered the provincial authorities to make that law, and whether it was not repugnant to the jurisprudence of England. The governor replied that an existing law of England provided that Jesuits should be hanged. Christison rejoined that he was not accused of being a Jesuit, but a Quaker. His plea, however, was overruled, and the jury found him guilty. When sentence of death was pronounced, he desired his judges to consider what they had gained by the persecution of the Quakers, and said that where one person was put to death, five came into his place, ready to suffer the same fate for their principles.