Massachusetts -- Church history; Massachusetts -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Puritans -- Massachusetts
The unfortunate Baptists remonstrated, saying that were they forced into
the meeting-house, they should be obliged to dissent from the service,
but this, the constable said, was nothing to him, and so he carried them
away. On entering, during the prayer, the prisoners took off their
hats, but presently put them on again and began reading in their seats.
Whereupon Bridges ordered the officers to uncover their heads, which
was done, and the service was then quietly finished. When all was over,
Clark asked leave to speak, which, after some hesitation, was granted,
on condition he would not discuss what he had heard. He began to explain
how he had put on his hat because he could not judge that they were
gathered according to the visible order of the Lord; but here he was
silenced, and the three were committed to custody for the night. On
Tuesday they were taken to Boston, and on the 31st were brought before
Governor Endicott. Their trial was of the kind reserved by priests for
heretics. No jury was impanelled, no indictment was read, no evidence
was heard, but the prisoners were reviled by the bench as Anabaptists,
and when they repudiated the name were asked if they did not deny infant
baptism. The theological argument which followed was cut short by a
recommitment to await sentence.
That afternoon John Cotton exhorted the judges from the pulpit. He
expounded the law, and commanded them to do their duty; he told them
that the rejection of infant baptism would overthrow the church;
that this was a capital crime, and therefore the captives were “foul
murtherers.” [Footnote: _Ill Newes_, p. 56.] Thus inspired, the court
came in toward evening.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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