" Thus the chief offender got the
lightest punishment, and thus did the omnipotent Church rule the whole
community.
The names of loquacious, babbling Quakers and Baptists who spoke
disrespectfully of some or all of the ordinances of the Puritan church
might be given, and would swell the list indefinitely; they were fined and
punished without mercy or even toleration.
All profanity or blaspheming against God was severely punished. One very
wicked man in Hartford for his "fillthy and prophane expressions," namely,
that "hee hoped to meet some of the members of the Church in Hell before
long, and he did not question but hee should," was "committed to prison,
there to be kept in safe custody till the sermon, and then to stand the
time thereof in the pillory, and after sermon to be severely whipped." What
a severe punishment for so purely verbal an offence! New England ideas of
profanity were very rigid, and New England men had reason to guard well
their temper and tongue, else that latter member might be bored with a
hot iron; for such was the penalty for profanity. We know what horror Mr.
Tomlins's wicked profanity, "Curse ye woodchuck!" caused in Lynn meeting,
and Mr. Dexter was "putt in ye billboes ffor prophane saying dam ye cowe."
The Newbury doctor was sharply fined also for wickedly cursing. When
drinking at the tavern he raised his glass and said,--
"I'll pledge my friends, and for my foes
A plague for their heels, and a poxe for their toes.
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