X HE different religions received into that ftate?
The firft fettlers in this country were emigrants from England, of the EngHfli church, juft at a point of time when it was flufhed with complete victory over the religious of all other perfuafions. Pof- feffed, as they became, of the powers of making, adminiftering, and executing the laws, they fhewed equal intolerance in this country with their Prefbyterian bre- thren, who had emigrated to the northern government. The poor Quakers were flying from perfecution in England. They call their eyes on thefe new countries as afylums of civil and religious freedom;
but they found them free only for the reigning fed. Several afts of the Virginia affembly of 1659, ^^^^ ^"^ i693> had made it penal in parents to refufe to have their children baptized; had prohibited the unlawful aflembling of Quakers; had [ 3o8 ] made it penal for any mafter of a veflel to bring a Quaker into the ftate; had or- dered thofe already here, and fuch as fhould come thereafter, to be imprifoned till they lliould abjure the country; pro- vided a milder punifliment for their firft and fecond return, but death for their third; had inhibited ail perfons from fuf- fering their meetings in or near their houfes, entertaining them individually, or difpofmg of books which fupported their tenets. If no execution took place here, as did in New-England, it was not owing to the moderation of the church, or fpirit of the legiflature, as may be inferred from the law itfelf; but to hiftorical circum- flances which have not been handed down to us. The Anghcans retained full pof- feffion of the country about a century.
Other opinions began then to creep in, and the great care of the government to fupport their own church, having begot- ten an equal