APPENDIX.

"PURITANISM, BY T. W. COIT."

JUST before this work was ready for the press, there appeared a work entitled 66 PURITANISM, OR, A CHURCHMAN'S DEFENCE AGAINST ITS ASPERSIONS. BY THOMAS W. COIT, D.D., Rector of Trinity Church, New Rochelle, N. Y., and a member of the New York Historical Society."

As in duty bound, I hastened to procure the work, that I might avail myself of whatever additional light it might throw upon the subject.

The honorary titles appended to the name of the author of the work ("D.D., Member of the New York Historical Society") led me to expect something. I turned to its (what shall I call it?) Ante-Preface; in which, in a quotation from Mather, the author anticipates the "furious tempest,—a tempest of rain, hail, and horrid thunder-claps," which his work is about to raise. Well, thought I, the good man expects, at the least, to make a noise in the world.

ORIGIN OF THE WORK.

I turned to the Preface, in which I found that the work was prepared at the special call of “several of the Bishops, and a large number of the Clergy," and that this was "not the first, nor the twentieth time, that he had been approached on the subject." It seems that the author had tried his hand at the same sort of labor, ten years before, in a series of letters in the Churchman: but the recollection of the " rain, hail, and horrid thunder-claps," which had been "poured upon him," " determined him never to resume, on his individual responsibility.” "Several of the Bishops, and a large number of the clergy," now approached him, " willing to share with him the responsibility," "by giving their signatures;" and under this high authority, he girds himself for the work. "But another work, which," says he, the Church was pleased to ask of me, interfered (the editing of a Standard Prayer-Book)." Accordingly, as soon as the Prayer-Book is published, in obedience to this new call of the Church, he takes the Puritans in hand. I confess, that after all this note of preparation, I did expect something, that a decent edifice, at least, should follow so notable a porch.

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GENERAL FEATURES OF THE WORK.

But on reading the book, what did I find? A manful discussion of the great principles for which the Puritans contended? A denial of the persecutions inflicted upon them by the government and Church of England? A vindication of the principles on which the Church of England claimed a right to persecute; i. e., to make canons for the use of ceremonies, and to impose the same by law? Nothing like it. He wanders over the whole history, as if utterly unconscious that any principles at all are at stake. He roams over those most stirring times of the whole range of English history,—the period more prodigal in genius, in intellectual and moral greatness, more pregnant with great events, and more productive of great and glorious results, more fruitful in instructive lessons of history, than any other period in the whole unin spired history of man. But what lessons of truth; what maxims of political wisdom; what principles of civil or religious freedom, does he bring forth to light? Just none at all. He is all unconscious of the great events transpiring around him. He is unable to comprehend the tremendous results dependingof freedom or of despotism, of truth or superstition, of light or of darkness,— to the English nation, and through them, to so large a portion of the family of He cannot see what makes these times stormy. He cannot comprehend what has wakened up so many minds to such prodigious efforts of genius; and what has roused them to such dauntless courage, and self-sacrificing endurOh, no; he cannot comprehend it: in his view, this is all wilfulness, or money-making, or at the utmost, a mere squabble for political power. He goes through the field, as has been well expressed, " mousing" after the faults, or follies, or inconsistencies of the great actors in those events; and he can see nothing else.

man.

ance.

DESIGN OF THE WORK.

But I forget: it was to the work of mousing, that he was specially called by the Bishops and clergy; who it seems had known their man. It was not to discuss any great principles; not to act the part of a fair and generous historian, that" The Church" had called the Dr. into the field: Oh, no, but in his own account of the matter,-" to tell unwelcome truths concerning our opponents”—"in defence of the Church." So then, it is not history, no, nor discussion, that the Bishops and clergy ask of Dr. Coit; but to rake in these old kennels, and throw filth; to blacken the characters (not controvert the principles) of the Puritan founders of New England!* Dr. Coit himself,

*"Years ago, says Dr. Coit (p. 276), "I awakened the apprehension of some of my fellow-churchmen, lest I should tell too much for my brethren, and too much against their enemies." * * * “Doubtless, those who are undeservedly tender of Puritan reputation, would have these sketches inscribed on silken velvet. Fraternal condolence! verily it will have its reward. Its commiserated objects will grasp any concession with characteristic avidity, trample it under their feet, and turning again rend the giver. I know the mode of requital by melancholy experi ence.” ✶ ✶ ✶ “I am under small obligations to extenuate,” * * * “I would much rather give my 'two mites' unalloyed into the treasury of their praise, who toiled

confesses, p. 13, that he "at first acted" under "provocation;" and that "a fresh and bitterer provocation induced him to continue writing." Like the old Athenian, who was tired of always hearing Aristides called the just, Dr. Coit had long been indignant at bearing "the infliction" of "harangues" (p. 22), about Plymouth Rock, and the Pilgrim Fathers; and so he is determined never to cease throwing javelins (if, at this distance, I can remember rightly a sentence in his original letters in the Churchman) as long as an eye can point, or an arm can hurl." But let us come to

THE MAIN POINT.

The main point in Dr. Coit's book, is to inquire "simply and plainly why did the Puritans come to these shores? Did they abandon England solely or even principally on account of religious considerations?" (p. 16.) My answer," he says, " is an immediate negative."

To this inquiry he is induced under "provocation" (p. 13). And this provocation was that, "the celebrity of the Plymouth Rock heroes is expatiated on year by year" (p. 15). "Why?" Oh! because-" they were persecuted"— "they fled from persecution”— they came in suffering and poverty to a desolate shore ;"" because they were striving to escape from the tyranny of unjust kings, and the domination of lords spiritual,”—" and were willing to endure all this, that they might throw off the yoke of despotism, and cast aside the mummeries of superstition.—"

Here he demands, "Is the tyranny by which public opinion is swayed-the yoke under which it is bowed-the mummery by which it is worked, never to cease?" This" tyranny" of " public opinion," he is now about to overthrow.

HE MORE PRECISELY DEFINES HIS POSITION.

On p. 73, he more precisely lays down his great position: "The represen tation which depicts the Puritans as having transported' (unlucky phrase !) themselves for a purely religious cause, is one which, with New England sturdi→ ness, I must positively deny, and continue to deny till I can read history back

and sacrificed and died in and for the faith which my heart cherishes, and my mind reveres." "And of the Church to which they cling with such firm zeal, would I exclaim in the beautiful apostrophe of the dying Tobit (Tobit xiii. 14)," &c.

He fully carries out his plan of saying nothing in favor of the Puritans. In his "CONCLUSION" (p. 247), he says, “" And now, I suppose the question will be asked, Having said all which one of the 'Malignant Party' can say to disparage the Puritans, are you going to part with them, and utter no words in their praise?

"And my reply will be shorter, much shorter, than many expect." First, he declares that he has praised the Huguenots, Gov. Winthrop, and Roger Williams. In the second place, he says, "I have as full faith in the piety, in the honesty, and in the Protestantism of AP. LAUD, &c." And in case the descendants of the Puritans shall ever honor him, "the example," he says, " may so captivate me that I may forget it is my duty to silence Puritan clamors, by enumerating Puritan faults." So ends his book. He has stuck manfully-through thick and thin, to his design; to blacken the character of the Puritans, and to be careful to concede nothing to their praise.

wards." "My fellow-churchmen, I am equally positive, will give me a hearty Amen." He does well to call the attempt to substantiate such a denial, an "adventure." It is so indeed; and very much like the adventure of Don Quixote with the windmills,-thus to fly in the face of the amplest and most undeniable documents of the times, as well as of the concurrent and settled testimony of all received history. It is, indeed, an adventure, and altogether Quixotic, on the strength of such nameless or obsolete histories as he adduces by the revival of slanders which gained no credit in their day, and which were therefore consigned to oblivion, and upon the strength of such arguments as Dr. Coit advances,-to "deny," that the Pilgrim Fathers of New England came to this country," solely, or even principally for a religious

cause."

Dr. Coit, however, nothing daunted, having received in anticipation the “Amen” of his "fellow-churchmen," further strengthens himself for his adventure by a quotation from the Apocrypha: "Strive for the truth unto death, and the Lord shall fight for thee."-Ecclus. iv. 28. "It speaks the sense of inspiration, if not its words," says Dr. Coit; "and I can act on it with uplifting confidence in my brethren, and of my cause." (He has not only the anticipated “Amen” of his "fellow-churchmen," but what is better, he has the sign manual of several of the Bishops and many of the clergy. He is the champion specially called to this work by the Church; and why should he not be bold?)

HE PREPARES TO MAKE HIS ONSET.

Thus fortified, and with these invocations, this historical Don Quixote rushes on the windmills. He adopts "good old Owen Felltham's definition of a Puri. tan"-CHURCH-REBEL, p. 74. "They deserted England," says he, "because this ascendency ['in Church and State'] was beyond their control."—"True, they conjured up a storm and went away in the midst of it."-" They were compelled to retreat."-"Yes, they sailed for Holland."-" There they were. tolerated, indeed, but watched."-"Their smothered ambition at last breaks out; and we find them pushing for a theatre, where they might be free from watching, and wield the rod of empire, with none to make afraid.”—“ But, after all, they were too wary to be content with a skeleton form of government, not clothed upon with wholesome muscle, embraced with nerve and sinew.”— They never braved a billow till they had attempted to drive a favorable bargain with a company of merchants." They and their emissaries went to and fro, like the raven, upon the waters, till they obtained, under sign and seal, a CHARTER, whose munificent compass and unqualified endowments, rivalled, in their construction of it, the powers of Parliament, and every court within the realm."—" And being such, and attempting such things in England, and failing there—failing, too, in their fond schemes in Holland-then compacting with an avowed band of money-getters, and fortified by this ALL-EMBRACING CHARTER, they set up their standard on this distant shore and all this for 'a religious cause.'" They profess freely, that they came here to win the natives of the country to the knowledge and obedience of the only true God

:

cause.""

and Saviour of Mankind' (SEE THE CHARTER), and all this for a purely religious In this strain of ribaldry he continues from page to page; winding up each of his successive paragraphs of invective with the repeated sneer, " And all for a religious cause!"— They tolerated such grossness in the pulpit and "as might disgrace a bar-room, and all this for a purely religious

in the press," cause!"*

THE ARRAY OF HIS ANTAGONISTS.

And now Dr. Coit arranges some select specimens of the common historical statements which he is about to assail : "Says John Norton, in 1657, with a dogmatism inherent in his race, 'It concerns New England always to remember, that originally, they are a plantation religious, and not a plantation of trade.””—“ Increase Mather hath this: It was with regard to Church order and discipline that the good old Puritan Non-Conformists transported themselves and their families over the vast ocean to the going down of the sun." "—" Says Judge Story, The Puritans, persecuted at home, and groaning under the weight of spiritual bondage, cast a longing eye toward America, as an ultimate retreat for themselves and their children.'

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Says a Unitarian minister (Mr. Francis), The enterprise was, strictly speaking, an ecclesiastical concern.""

"And lastly, says even a Baptist (Dr. Wayland), The Puritans, A TITLE OF INTELLECTUAL AS WELL AS OF MORAL NOBILITY, left all the endearments of home for a purely religious cause.'” ”

*Strange laws of association seem to reign in Dr. Coit's mind. He cannot close this tirade against the Pilgrims without running into his favorite theme, the eulogy of Archbishop Laud; one would think, from the frequency with which he introduces this name, that the canonization of Laud was the great collateral design of this book. It is his favorite theme. To this retreat he constantly withdraws to breathe himself, after spending his fury upon the Puritans. Ever and anon the "murdered prelate and his still assassinated memory" (p. 122), stalk forth to view throughout the book. The eulogy on p. 78, of Dr. Coit's book, is a curiosity worth transcribing: "I well know that my advocacy of this ill-omened name [Laud], how slight soever, will be atrocious guilt before that livid implacability, which will never admit that its offences against man, have to man been deeply atoned for, by a trial, to which the rack were a mercy, and by death (earth's latest boon to him) under the executioner's axe. But I feel as it were anything but sin to defend him, (noble defender as he was of the Protestant faith, &c.) when, even at this late day, I discover a very positive assertor, declaring that "but for the Puritans, England had never become Protestant." [Bancroft.] "Venerable, but, alas, Episcopal Lambeth! the blood of two of your archbishops, martyred by Romanists and by Puritans, proclaims who were your worst enemies, and how earnestly you have contended for the faith once delivered to the saints, by the armor of righteousness ON THE RIGHT HAND AND ON THE LEFT.'" As Laud fell in attempting to make the king an absolute despot, and in endeavoring to establish, practically, as well as theoretically, the dogma of passive obedience and non-resistance, Dr. Coit should seem bound to tell us, whether he thinks these among the doctrines once delivered to the saints; and whether he deems it "the armor of righteousness," to gird one's self with panoply for the maintenance of such tenets.