Bancroft's History of the United States, Part II [pp. 252-277]

I 883.~ BAArcRoF7~s HisToRY OF HfE UNITED STA 7~S~ 26~
"When he had thus long reason- Trinity, or the Unity of the God
ed the matter, they laid hold on head, or shall use or utter any rehim, accused him, and condemned proachful speeches, words, or lanhim into exile, not as a despiser of guage concerning the Holy Tnnit~
religion, but as a sedicious person or any of the sayd three persons
and a raiser up of dissention amonge thereof, shall be punished with
the people. death, and confiscation or forfeiture
"For this is one of the ancientest of all his or her land and goods to
lawes among them, that no man the Lord proprietary and his heires.
shall be blamed for resoninge in "And bee it also enacted by the
the maintenance of his own reli- authority and with the advice and
gion. For Kynge Utopus, even at consent aforesaid, That whatsothe first beginning, hearing that the ever person or persons shall from
inhabitantes of the land were, be- henceforth use or utter any refqre his coming thether, at contin- proachful words or speeches conuall dissention and strife among cerning the blessed Virgin Mary the
themselves for their religions; per- mother of our Savior; or the Holy
ceiving also that tbis common dis- Apostles or Evangelists, or any of
sention (whiles every severall secte them, shall in such case for the first
took several parties in fighting for offence forfeit to the sayd lord protheir countrey) was the only occa- prietary and his heires, lords and
sion for his conquest over them al, proprietaries of this province, the
as soon as he had gotten the vic- sum of 5~. sterling, or the value
tory: firste of all he made a decree thereof, to bee levied on the goods
th~t it should be lawful for everie and chattels of every such person
man to favoure and folowe what re- so offending; but in case such ofligion he would, and that he mighte fender 6r offenders shall not then
do the best he could to bring other have goods and chattels sufficient
to his opinion, so that he did it for the satisfying of such forfeiture,
peaceablie, gentelie, quietlie, and or that the same be not othe~~ise
soberlie, without hastie and conten- speedily satisfied, that then such
tions, rebuking and inveheing offender or offenders shall be pubagainst other. lickly whipt, and be imprisoned dur
"If he could not by faire and gen- ing the pleasure of the lord proprietle speeche induce them unto his tary or the lieutenant or the chiefe
opinion, yet he should use no kinde gouvernour of this province for the
of violence, and refraine from dis- time being; and that every such
pleasante and seditious wordes. To offender or offenders for every sechim that would vehemently and fer- ond offence shall forfeit 10~. stervently in this cause strive and con- ling, or the value thereof to be levied
tende was decreed banishment or as aforesayd, or in case such offendbondage. er or offenders shall not then have
"This laWe did Kynge Utopus goods or chattels within this pro.
make not only for the maintenance vince sufficient for that purpose,
of peace which he sawe through then to be publickly and severely
continuall contention and mutual whipt and imprisoned, as is before
hatred utterly extinguished. but expressed; and that every person
also because he thought the decrie or persons before mentioned offendwould make for the furtherance of ing herein the third time shall for
r9ligion, whereof he durst define and such third offence forfeit all his