The Right, The Necessity of Self Defense
In 1636, the General Court of The Bay Colony, under Governor John Bradford, passed an ordinance: "……no person shall travel above one mile from his dwelling-house, except in places where other houses are near together, without some arms; upon pain of twelvepence for every fault." p 141 of Divine Rebel: The Life of Anne Marbury Hutchinson, by Selma Williams. Even the Puritans did not take self-protection and protection of the innocents lightly. Did this mean in worship too? Being in our houses of respective worship today does not mean giving up our capability of self-defense any more than it did in 1636.
