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several years longer, a clergyman who denied the lawfulness of infant baptism was at the head of Harvard College; and his successor held that immersion was essential to the rite. But the association between "Anabaptistry" and enmity to social order had not been broken in the minds of the colonial rulers; nor had there been wholly wanting occurrences near at hand, to keep their apprehensions alive.1 Five years after the law was passed, the General Court of Massachusetts was informed that at Seekonk, in the Colony of Plymouth, there had been "thirteen or fourteen persons rebaptized;" and the Court wrote to Plymouth, signifying their own sense of danger from "the infection of such diseases, being so near," and expressing their hope that it might be averted.2

Baptists in

Plymouth.

1649.

Oct. 18.

There can be no doubt that many of the sixty-five citizens of Newport and forty of Portsmouth, who were disinclined to acknowledge the "commission" of Coddington and to come under his rule, were of the Baptist persuasion. It is impossible that so clear-headed a man as Clarke should have overlooked the relation into which he and his party were brought by the new state of things. Coddington's desire for a connection with the Confederacy was well known. Should he be permanently established in the local government according to the terms of his "commission," there could be no question that he would pursue that purpose. Perhaps he would even bring about a complete annexation to Massachusetts; but, should he do no more than become associated with her in the league of Colonies, it might be plausibly argued from the late application of Massachusetts to Plymouth, that, when she had acquired an excuse for remonstrating, she would not

.... and live peaceably amongst us, without occasioning disturbance, &c., such have no cause to complain; for it hath never been as yet put in execu

VOL. II.

30

tion against any of them, although such are known to live amongst us."

1 See Vol. I. 517-521, 587–591. 2 Mass. Rec., III. 173.

leave undisturbed the large body of Baptists on Rhode Island.

Here was furnished a vantage-ground for Clarke's resistance to the establishment of his rival's dominion. If Massachusetts was intolerant of Baptists, and if the execution of Coddington's scheme would place the RhodeIsland Baptists more or less under her control, the neces sity of self-defence admonished them that, if possible, that scheme should be defeated. Clarke had known for seven years that his presence would not be allowed in Massachusetts. During that time a law had existed which his presence would affront. And indeed, seven years earlier yet, he had gone away under circumstances which made it next to certain that, had he not departed voluntarily, he would have been expelled.1

Fourteen years he was content to stay away from Massachusetts. In the fifteenth, he was prompted to go thither. The considerate reader may see a significance in the time of this movement. The precise day of Coddington's arrival from England with his "commission" is not known. But it seems to have been when his arrival was expected from week to week, or even from day to day, that Clarke undertook his journey. Clarke was a man of influence and authority. His personal character, his sacred office, and his newly acquired position of Assistant in the government, placed him prominently before the people. He was a man of discernment and resolution, and felt no reluctance to expose himself to personal inconvenience for the furtherance of what he accounted a good public object. And he judged well, that, at this moment, some striking practical evidence of the hostility of Massachusetts to Baptists would be efficacious to excite his Rhode-Island friends to oppose the ascendency of Coddington.

1 See Vol. I. 511.

R. I. Rec., I. 209, 216, 220.

Visit of John

Clarke and

other Bap

tists to Mas

sachusetts.

Clarke took with him two companions, one of whom, he could promise himself, would at the moment be almost as unwelcome a visitor as himself. John Crandall was so far a person of consideration that we find him to have sometimes served, in the General Court of the Colony, as commissioner (or Deputy) for Newport.1 But Obadiah Holmes was a man of more importance. He was minister of the congregation which had occasioned the application from Massachusetts to Plymouth; and he had been recently presented by the Grand Jury of that Colony for a disorderly meeting with others on the Lord's day. The three proceeded together to Lynn, ten miles on the further side of Boston. Their ostensible object was to visit a sick and aged friend, William Witter, who, "brother in the Church" of Baptists as he was, had been living in Lynn unmolested.

1650.

Oct. 2.

1651.

July 19.

The next day after the Rhode-Island visitors reached their destination "being the Lord's day, they concluded to spend it in religious worship." There had been no affectation of concealing their purpose,— perhaps it had been freely announced,-for, while Clarke was preaching to his "companions in the house, and to four or five strangers," two constables came in with a war- Their arrest. rant from a Magistrate, Robert Bridges, of Salem. The officers took Clarke and his friends "to the alehouse, or ordinary,” and, after dinner, to the meetinghouse of the town. When the party entered, the congregation were standing at prayers. Clarke, at his first stepping over the threshold, "unvailed himself, civilly saluted them, turned into the seat he was appointed unto, put on his hat again, and so sat down, opened his book, and fell to reading." When the service was over, Clarke rose, and asked leave to "propose a few things to the

1 R. I. Rec., 409, 468, 480, 501.

2

Plym. Rec., II. 162.

congregation." But he had not proceeded far before Mr. Bridges, who was present, " commanded him silence;" and the three were taken to the tavern for the night. The next morning they were brought before the same Magis trate, who sent them to the jail in Boston to await their trial for "exercising among themselves at a private meeting upon the Lord's day;" for "offensively disturbing the peace of the congregation at their coming into the public meeting;" for "saying and manifesting that the church of Lynn was not constituted according to the order of our Lord; and for such other things as should be alleged against them concerning their seducing and drawing aside of others." On the same day, the strangers made Witter another visit, and "in contempt of authority," so it was alleged in their sentence, -"they being then in the custody of the law, did there administer the sacra ment of the Supper to one excommunicate person, to another under admonition, and to another that was an inhabitant of Lynn, and not in fellowship with any church." 1

Proceedings

For the misdemeanors above specified, and for what was considered an offensive announcement and vindication of their doctrines in Court, they were sentenced to pay fines; Clarke, a fine of twenty pounds, Holmes, of thirty pounds, and Crandall, of five pounds. As was usual at that time, when a person fined had not property to be levied upon, within the jurisdiction of the Court, against them. they were further sentenced to be punished by whipping, as the alternative. In an altercation which followed between him and Governor Endicott, Clarke professes to have understood the Governor as offering him the opportunity of a discussion with the ministers; and he wrote a formal acceptance of the proposal. But, before the preliminaries were adjusted, - which it

July 31.

1 Clarke, Ill Newes from New England, &c., 1-4.

66

Aug. 11.

is likely they never would have been, some friends " paid his fine, "contrary to his counsel;" an order was sent to the jailer for his discharge; and the next day, leaving a paper expressive of his readiness to hold a disputation whenever it should be allowed, he departed for his home.1 His return to Newport with tidings of what had befallen him must have been a very few days before or after the arrival there of Coddington with his "commission."

The jailer-probably acting for persons of more consequence than himself, who were willing to pay for getting Crandall out of the way without a scene - had given bond for his appearance at the Court to which the fine was to be paid. But Crandall professed to have misunderstood the time, and in his absence the jailer paid the bond.2 Holmes was not to be so put off. He remained at Boston, enforcing, by the further hard treatment he received, the effect of the narrative which his more able friend was already detailing to their associates on Rhode Island. "There were," Holmes wrote, "that would have paid the money, if he would accept it;" but that conclusion of the business did not suit his views. When he relates that the scourging which he endured "was so easy to him that he could well bear it, yea, and in a manner felt it not," and that he "told the Magistrates, 'You have struck me as with roses,' " the reader ventures to hope that the executioner had been directed by his superiors to vindicate what they thought the majesty of the law at little cost to the delinquent. Two persons, one or both of whom had come from Newport to be present, were apprehended for accosting him with expressions of sym

1 Clarke, Ill Newes from New England, &c., 5-13." He was as good as thrust out, without pay or whipping." (Roger Williams to Winthrop, jr., in Mass. Hist. Coll., XXIX. 293.)

2 Clarke, Ill Newes, &c., 15.

a Ibid., 19, in a letter which Holmes wrote to the Baptists of London, giving his account of the transaction. * Ibid., 22.