open
the door for a Cromwell? It was to be a standing army for at least two
years, since this was the shortest period between elections. Why, even
the British Parliament, since 1688, did not keep up a standing army for
more than one year at a time, but renewed its existence annually under
what was termed the Mutiny Act. But what need of a standing army at all?
Would it not be sure to provoke needless disorders? Had they already
forgotten the Boston Massacre, in spite of all the orations that had
been delivered in the Old South Meeting-House? A militia, organized
under the town-meeting system, was surely all-sufficient. Such a militia
had won glorious triumphs at Lexington and Bennington; and at King's
Mountain, had not an army of militia surrounded and captured an army of
regulars led by one of England's most skilful officers? What more could
you ask? Clearly this plan for a standing army foreboded tyranny. Upon
this point Mr. Nason, from the Maine district, had his say, in tones of
inimitable bombast. "Had I the voice of Jove," said he, "I would
proclaim it throughout the world; and had I an arm like Jove, I would
hurl from the globe those villains that would dare attempt to establish
in our country a standing army!"

[Sidenote: Liberal attitude of the clergy.]

Next came the complaint that the Constitution did not recognize the
existence of God, and provided no religious tests for candidates for
federal offices. But, strange to say, this objection did not come from
the clergy. It was urged by some of the country members, but the
ministers in the convention were nearly unanimous in opposing it. There
had been a remarkable change of sentiment among the clergy of this
state, which had begun its existence as a theocracy, in which none but
church members could vote or hold office. The seeds of modern liberalism
had been planted in their minds. When Amos Singletary of Sutton declared
it to be scandalous that a Papist or an infidel should be as eligible to
office as a Christian,--a remark which naively assumed that Roman
Catholics were not Christians,--the Rev. Daniel Shute of Hingham replied
that no conceivable advantage could result from a religious test. Yes,
said the Rev. Philip Payson of Chelsea, "human tribunals for the
consciences of men are impious encroachments upon the prerogatives of
God. A religious test, as a qualification for office, would have been a
great blemish." "In reason and in the Holy Scripture," sai