542 HISTORY 



restraining these dangerous persons. In 1840 came Henry Capern, a Baptist 

 missionary, preaching freedom of worship and freedom of attendance on relig- 

 ious services, and the fear of God, not of man.^'*" On his arrival at Nassau 

 he failed to notify the Governor of his coming. Entering at once on the 

 work of his mission he was very successful. The negroes flocked to hear him 

 and great numbers of them allied themselves with his congregation. Even 

 the scholars from the Anglican schools went over to him. His methods 

 annoyed the Governor. The latter became much more urgent for an increase 

 in the clerical staff of the Anglican body.^°° Cockburn thought that Capern 

 was discourteous to him, as Governor, and that his teaching was dangerous to 

 the public order. The latter refused to sign the indenture for the appren- 

 ticeship of a negro girl, objecting that it was " against his principles as a 

 Baptist to sign a contract which required attendance on the worship of the 

 established church.'' He wrote articles for an opposition newspaper at Nas- 

 sau, which added to the irritation of the Governor.^" His unlettered negro 

 helpers preached in the streets. Cockburn complained that this missionary 

 Avas attempting to weaken the gratitude of the negroes to the home govern- 

 ment, by insinuating that the Baptist missionary society Avas largely respon- 

 sible for their emancipation. The Governor advised that the society which 

 had sent out this preacher should be asked to recall liim. and That a warning 

 be sent to them as to the choice of his successor.^" But the insubordination so 

 much feared as a result of this man's work never OL-cnrred. The public peace 

 was not disturbed on account of him. The Governor, loyal to his own church, 

 disliked to see the people leave it for the sectarians. After Cockburn's de- 

 parture from the Bahamas tlie dangerous character of the missionary disap- 

 peared, for he gave no such anxiety to Governor ^lathew, the next Governor. 

 Cockbtirn disavoAved any belief in compulsion in religious nuitters,'" but the 

 course he advised Avas hardly in harmony Avith this statement. 



In the Out-islands, especially, the sectarians gained among the negroes. 

 In many of these places only dissenters came to teach the people. In such com- 



"" Cockburn to Russell, No. 104. 



^°° Cockburn to Russell, No. 44, and to Stanley, No. 11. In the latter despatch 

 he wrote: " Two or three additional clergymen .... are needed. It is lamentable 

 to see the lower classes driven into the congregations of the sectarians, more par- 

 ticularly the Baptists, which are increasing every hour from the insufficiency of the 

 numbers in our own church to afford that moral instruction that is so much needed. ' 



°^^ Cockburn to Russell, No. 149. McClure, the Scotch minister, Avas implicated 

 in these publications. 



'•''''' Loc. cit. 



^^^ Loc. cit. 



