16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
name and eventually they were put down,
leaving only a few scattered communities. I
believe the Levellers as a body did not have a
religious as opposed to a social or political
unity, though I cannot think that any of them
belonged to the Established Church; yet some
of these remaining communities formed a sect
with strange notions of the Trinity and a dislike
of infant baptism; and to avoid the odium attached
to the name of Levellers and indeed
the persecution they called themselves Knipperdollings,
thinking that more respectable or
at least more obscure. I imagine they knew
very little of the Knipperdollings' religious
teaching but had retained a traditional knowledge
of their notions of social justice, which
made them think the name appropriate.'
'It is remarkable,' observed Stephen after a
pause, 'that the Surprise, with her many sects,
should be such a peaceful ship. To be sure,