In some of these ecclesiastical offences the statute seems
to have served the purpose of a threat, and was therefore
perhaps the more easily enacted. Yet none of the colonies
except Massachusetts' now adopted the suggestion of the
Federal Commissioners and threatened the Quakers with
death.
In Massachusetts the opposition was very strong indeed,
1 Colonial Laws of Massachusetts, ■p-^.iHr-id; Levermore's Republic
of New Haven, p. 153.
214 THE BEGINNINGS OF NEW ENGLAND

and its character shows how wide the divergence in senti-
ment had already become between the upper stratum of
society and the people in general. This divergence was one
result of the excessive weight given to the clergy by the
restriction of the suffrage to church members. One might
almost say that it was not the people of Massachusetts, after
all, that shed the blood of the Quakers ; it was Endicott and
the clergy. The bill establishing death as the penalty for
returning after banishment was passed in the upper house
without serious difHculty ; but in the lower house it was at
first defeated. Of the twenty-six deputies fifteen were
opposed to it, but one of these fell sick and two were in-
timidated, so that finally the infamous measure was passed
by a vote of thirteen against twelve. Probably it would
not have passed but for a hopeful feeling that an occasion
for putting it into execution would not be likely to arise.
It was hoped that the mere threat would prove effective.
Endicott begged the Quakers to keep away, saying ear-
nestly that he did not desire their death ; but the more
resolute spirits were not deterred by fear of the gallows.
