Transition fj-om Dutch to English Rule 709 New England narrowness was avoided also in the treatment of the whole question of religion. The Duke's code imposed no re- ligious qualifications upon voters or office-holders ; and it omitted altogether the title " Heresy " which occupied such a prominent place in the New England laws. Instead of the religious uniformity to which the Puritans aspired, the new laws provided for religious toleration : " Nor shall any person be molested, fined or Imprisoned for differing in Judgment in matters of Religion who professes Chris- tianity." Nicholls also pruned out of his models practically all the Puritanic and Sabbatarian legislation which they contained, and at the same time retained the popular election of ministers and the compulsory payment of tithes for church support.^ If Nicholls advanced individual liberty by rejecting the religious system and the freeman-principle of New England, the same can- not be said of another omission. It would have been well for the colony if the governor could have introduced the educational sys- tem of New England ; and yet, perhaps, this was impossible. Eco- nomic and racial differences existing in New York would have in- terfered with the successful establishment of schools and colleges. The solidarity of New England society found no parallel in New York. In place thereof, we see various nationalities, many sects, and feudal ranks, all tending to mark off society into distinct classes. In such a population, an immediate erection of a public school system similar to that of Massachusetts was impracticable.^ As the following extracts show, Nicholl's provision for educa- tion was in most vague terms, omitting the subject of schools, and not even mentioning instruction in reading. For unruly conduct on the part of the child or servant, the Duke's Laws punished the child, while New Haven and Massachusetts held the master or parent responsible and punished him for the waywardness of his child or servant : ^The diversity of sects in New Yorl;, and the toleration which followed from that diversity, were not unmixed blessings from the spiritual point of view, as the following quotation shows : ' ' Every Town ought to have a Minister. New York has first a Chaplain belonging to the Fort of the Church of England ; secondly a Dutch Calvinist ; thirdly a French Calvinist; fourthly a Dutch Lutheran. . . . Here bee not many of the Church of England ; few Roman Catholicks ; abundance of Quakers preachers men and Women especially ; Sing- ing Quakers ; Ranting Quakers ; Sabbatarians ; Antisabbatarians ; Some Anabaptists some Independants ; some Jews ; in short of all sorts of opinions there are some, and the most part of none at all." Governor Dongan's description in 16S6, N. Y. Col. Doc, III. 41';. 2 The Massachusetts code discusses the subject of education under three heads, "Children and Youth," "College," and "Schools," giving to these titles three pages out of a total of eighty-three. The New Haven code treats of education under the title " Children's Education," taking one page out of a total of fifty ; while the Duke's Laws give the matter only one-third of a page in a code comprising si.ty-four pages.
