f the fall
of the old government: "The foundations being destroyed, what can the
righteous do?"

Perhaps the greatest innovation--in any case, the novelty that aroused
the largest amount of curiosity and excitement--was the service
according to the Book of Common Prayer, held at first in the library
room of the Town House, and afterwards by arrangement in the South
Church, and conducted by the Reverend Robert Ratcliffe in a surplice,
before a congregation composed not only of professed Anglicans but also
of many men of Boston who had never before seen the Church of England
form of worship. The Anglican rector, by his somewhat unfortunate habit
of running over the time allowance and keeping the waiting
Congregationalists from entering their own church for the enjoyment of
their own form of worship, caused almost as much discontent as did the
dancing-master of whom the ministers had complained the year before, who
set his appointments on Lecture days and declared that by one play he
could teach more divinity than Mr. Willard or the Old Testament. Other
"provoking evils" show that not all the breaches in the walls were due
to outside attacks. A list of twelve such evils was drawn up in 1675,
and the crimes which were condemned, and which were said to be committed
chiefly by the younger sort, included immodest wearing of the hair by
men, strange new fashions of dress, want of reverence at worship,
profane cursing, tippling, breaking the Sabbath, idleness, overcharges
by the merchants, and the "loose and sinful habit of riding from town to
town, men and women together, under pretence of going to lectures, but
really to drink and revel in taverns." The law forbidding the keeping of
Christmas Day had to be repealed in 1681. Mrs. Randolph, when attending
Mr. Willard's preaching at the South Church, was observed "to make a
curtsey" at the name of Jesus "even in prayer time"; and the colony was
threatened with "gynecandrical or that which is commonly called Mixt or
Promiscuous Dancing," and with marriage according to the form of the
Established Church. The old order was changing, but not without
producing friction and bitterness of spirit. The orthodox brethren
stigmatized Ratcliffe as "Baal's priest," and the ministers from their
pulpits denounced the Anglican prayers as "leeks, garlick, and trash."
The upholders of the covenant were convinced that already "the Wild
Beasts of the Field" were assailing the colony.

Randolph jou