THE DECAY OF PURITANISM.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 12, 12 July 1889, Page 29

THE DECAY OF PURITANISM.

ONE Lundred jcar3 -uro PnutatiHru was practically the established religion tbiougbout New JOngi.-md. So closely was it united with the government of each town ihat tne s-nnie officers served for both, and tbe same building was iis<.d loi fie transaction of low.i business and the weekly preaching.

In a tew isolaUd i.istince-. 'h 1 union of Church and State exists in somcdigree >> t An it t< i citing fat Lin regard to the great change ■whieu has taken ulaec, an 1 < )><• giow tli ot the Cnhuho Church, has been mac c known by tie Boston s -ho >1 agitation. Of the whole number ot mva^iUui 1 -, m Mass c'ium'C.s torty per cent, aie Catholics. No wondei the auti-Uat'io'ie li'iatici aie aroused. The incieai-iiig number ot con veils is aiso a m itur ot ai.irm. Father Bodfish states that among elusy :md laity there aie many of Puritan descent.

There i« this difference lutwie i the hatred towards the Catholic chinch of ihc I'urnaDS and that of their succeisois, the modern Unitarians and CuuLjieL'a'ionalitt-". The Puritans witu all their bigotry were men ot convict on, ihmly believing in God, in heaven andhell,and that Jo-us Chn^t was truly the fc'on of God. We think tLey wcie in good lanh. Tiny luted strongly, b 'cause ot strong conviction 'ha' ihe Catholic Chinch »a« in enoi, while the modern ayMators are movid by no co.iviu ion, but by the h indebt bigotry. Having no faith in anything, they are dumbfounded by the spectacle ot a Chuich cUiming to t>peak with oiviue authority, ever mcieaMtig id. their rurls'. It is the one obstacle to the reign (f cioult they would introduce ; titLcr they must crush it or f heir creed tf doubi is bailled, and liuth and faith will triumph over it. The religious upheaval in New liuglaud, with which the names of Emerson, Brownson and Hickcr aie connected, sounded the knell of the socalled orthodox Congn tjauonaliaw. To be a Congr<.jj;atiouali9t once meant to have fixed belief. Now it signifies that all religion is open to doubt. The ' Jehovah, Jove or Lord " of Boston AriauF, is not tie Ever Blessed Triune God of the Christian religion.

Boston's refined Heathenism is lamentable enough, but there i another tendency of degenerated Puritanism without the redeeming point of intellectuality, toward the darkness of superstition. We refer to the great number of deluded persons wbo have embraced the superstition called Spiritualism. Many families in Plymouth County, bearing names of distinguished men of the past, are among the number.

What would the Pilgrim Fathers say to this ? We think witoh roasting would be tame compared with hunting down this fraud of the devil.

The Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Connecticut tells a story about a visit of his to Plymouth which well illustrates the great change which has taken place since the time of the Pilgrim Fathers. The Bishop upon landing was shown about the town by somebody, a stranger to himself, who offered his services.

" Tell me," said the Bishop, " does the first Church of the Pilgrims still exist ? " " Yes," was the reply. " and I belong to it." " What kind of a Church is it now ?" " A Unitarian Church." "Dj you know that it is very fortunate for you that the Pilgrims are sir feet under the sod ? " "No I never thought of that ; why is that ? " "Because," replied the Bishop, "if they would burn witches and whip Quakers, they would certainly hang you I "

We would add that, in onr opinion, it would have been exceadingly uncomfortable for a Bishop of the Anglican Communion, had the Pilgrims caught him in the streets of Plymouth,

The downfall of Puritanism is complete. Doubt and Superstition have taken its place. Its especial virtue, firm faith and zeal for Christian education, is unknown in Massachusetts outside of the Catholic Church. — Catholic Review.