This
absolute obedience to the letter as well as to the spirit of God's Word
was one of the most typical traits of the character of the Puritans, and
appeared to them to be one of the most vital points of their religion.
XVIII.
The Authority of the Church and the Ministers.
Severely were the early colonists punished if they ventured to criticise
or disparage either the ministers or their teachings, or indeed any of the
religious exercises of the church. In Sandwich a man was publicly whipped
for speaking deridingly of God's words and ordinances as taught by the
Sandwich minister. Mistress Oliver was forced to stand in public with a
cleft stick on her tongue for "reproaching the elders." A New Haven man was
severely whipped and fined for declaring that he received no profit from
the minister's sermons. We also know the terrible shock given the Windham
church in 1729 by the "vile and slanderous expressions" of one unregenerate
Windhamite who said, "I had rather hear my dog bark than Mr. Bellamy
preach." He was warned that he would be "shakenoff and givenup," and
terrified at the prospect of so dire a fate he read a confession of his
sorrow and repentance, and promised to "keep a guard over his tongue," and
also to listen to Mr. Bellamy's preaching, which may have been a still more
difficult task. Mr. Edward Tomlins, of Boston, upon retracting his opinion
which he had expressed openly against the singing in the churches, was
discharged without a fine.
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