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TOLERATION TO ALL MEN. 287
were at this period "the evil geniuses of the colony," others like them, were
always ready to foment disaffection, and the banks of the Severn, where the
Puritans had been allowed to settle, became the hot-bed of sedition. The
"late troubles in Maryland," and his "partiality to papists," formed the prominent subjects of fresh complaints against the proprietary in England. These
complaints received from those in authority, countenance to which they were
not entitled, as it would seem they were but part of a preconcerted scheme "to
root out the abominations of Popery and prelacy," to foster a " thorough godly
reformation," and to effect, if possible, the "Protestant revolution." It was
in vain the proprietary stated as before, that the governors, from first to last,
had sworn to molest no man in the exercise of his religion and to make no
distinctions on account of creed, and that the laws of the province gave equal
encouragement to men of every sect, without favoring any. He stated that he
had endeavored to divide the offices of his government among Protestants and
Boman Catholics with as much equality as their different abilities would permit ; and that he had given almost the whole command of the militia to the
former, who were also entrusted with the care of the arms and military
stores.1 He also appealed to facts, as conclusive evidence of the untruth of
the charges brought against him, and in justification of his assertions he
submitted, among other evidence, the following " declaration," signed by
twenty-five of the leading members of the Church of England in the province of Maryland, in testimony of his impartiality in administering the
government of the province to Protestants as well as Boman Catholics:
" LORD BALTEMORE's DECLARATION.
" Maryland, 13th May, 1682.
" To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come greeting, in our Lord
God Everlasting: Whereas, through the envy, malice and hatred of some particular
turbulent, factious spirits, not only disaffected to this, but also dissatisfied with, uneasie
under and averse to, all manner of Rule and government, severall ill reports and
foul aspersions have of late been cast upon the government of this Province, under the
Right Honble Charles, Lord Baltimore, Lord and Proprietor thereof, representing his
Lordshipp as violent against the Protestants here inhabiting, concerning and entertaining
groundless jealouses against them, and upon all occasions shewing partiality and favour
to those of the Popish persuasion, to the great discouragement and oppression of others
his majestie's Protestant subjects, who are said (meerely upon the account of their religion)
to be kept under and at a distance from all possibility of advancement to any Place of
honor or profitt within the Province, and to render the same more odious and contemptible
to the world, such reports have not only been scattered abroad amongst severall persons,
from one to another, But (as we have seen and heard) through the instigation, means and
procurement (as we conceive) of the Authors themselves, have, for the more generall contagion, been exposed to Publick view in Print, thereby to take the deeper impression on
the minds of the vulgar, not only to the derogation of his Lordshipp's honor, but also of
very ill consequence to the whole Province, in general by terrifying and preventing thereby
others his Majestie's loving subjects from resorting hither to cohabit with us as formerly,
for our greater strength and fortification against the Indians, and also for the better cultivating and emprovement of this county, to the great damage, detriment and prejudice of
1 Chalmers, p. 369.
| Title | History of Maryland - 1 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000314 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | TOLERATION TO ALL MEN. 287 were at this period "the evil geniuses of the colony," others like them, were always ready to foment disaffection, and the banks of the Severn, where the Puritans had been allowed to settle, became the hot-bed of sedition. The "late troubles in Maryland," and his "partiality to papists," formed the prominent subjects of fresh complaints against the proprietary in England. These complaints received from those in authority, countenance to which they were not entitled, as it would seem they were but part of a preconcerted scheme "to root out the abominations of Popery and prelacy," to foster a " thorough godly reformation," and to effect, if possible, the "Protestant revolution." It was in vain the proprietary stated as before, that the governors, from first to last, had sworn to molest no man in the exercise of his religion and to make no distinctions on account of creed, and that the laws of the province gave equal encouragement to men of every sect, without favoring any. He stated that he had endeavored to divide the offices of his government among Protestants and Boman Catholics with as much equality as their different abilities would permit ; and that he had given almost the whole command of the militia to the former, who were also entrusted with the care of the arms and military stores.1 He also appealed to facts, as conclusive evidence of the untruth of the charges brought against him, and in justification of his assertions he submitted, among other evidence, the following " declaration," signed by twenty-five of the leading members of the Church of England in the province of Maryland, in testimony of his impartiality in administering the government of the province to Protestants as well as Boman Catholics: " LORD BALTEMORE's DECLARATION. " Maryland, 13th May, 1682. " To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come greeting, in our Lord God Everlasting: Whereas, through the envy, malice and hatred of some particular turbulent, factious spirits, not only disaffected to this, but also dissatisfied with, uneasie under and averse to, all manner of Rule and government, severall ill reports and foul aspersions have of late been cast upon the government of this Province, under the Right Honble Charles, Lord Baltimore, Lord and Proprietor thereof, representing his Lordshipp as violent against the Protestants here inhabiting, concerning and entertaining groundless jealouses against them, and upon all occasions shewing partiality and favour to those of the Popish persuasion, to the great discouragement and oppression of others his majestie's Protestant subjects, who are said (meerely upon the account of their religion) to be kept under and at a distance from all possibility of advancement to any Place of honor or profitt within the Province, and to render the same more odious and contemptible to the world, such reports have not only been scattered abroad amongst severall persons, from one to another, But (as we have seen and heard) through the instigation, means and procurement (as we conceive) of the Authors themselves, have, for the more generall contagion, been exposed to Publick view in Print, thereby to take the deeper impression on the minds of the vulgar, not only to the derogation of his Lordshipp's honor, but also of very ill consequence to the whole Province, in general by terrifying and preventing thereby others his Majestie's loving subjects from resorting hither to cohabit with us as formerly, for our greater strength and fortification against the Indians, and also for the better cultivating and emprovement of this county, to the great damage, detriment and prejudice of 1 Chalmers, p. 369. |
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