roger williams
Benjamin Hetrick
October 3rd, 2006
Literature of Early America
Character Analysis- Roger Williams
Roger Williams- Founder of Rhode Island. Theologian. Advocate of the separation of Church and State and fair treatment of Native Americans.
Williams was born in Edinburgh, England on December 21, 1603, to a Merchant family. He was very highly educated, and was particularly adept at learning languages, including Latin, Greek, Dutch, and French. At one time, he was teaching John Milton Dutch lessons in exchange for Hebrew lessons. He eventually graduated from Cambridge University, and became a chaplain. He slowly began to distrust and rise against the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud.
Archbishop Laud was a follower of absolute monarchy. He supported King Charles I, and the Divine Right ideal, which stated that the King owed his rule to the will of the Lord, and not to the will of his subjects. Roger Williams believed in a separation between the church and the state, and looked to the new lands to spread his belief- The New England colonies.
Williams traveled with his wife, Mary Barnard, to Boston in 1631. Once there he was invited to preach at the church, but it was not a separated church- it still followed the ideals of “Divine Right” that he had left behind. Williams began to spread his beliefs of separation of church and state, and one of the most important amendments to the future Consitution- Freedom of Religion.
He referred to it as “Soul Liberty”. Williams hated the idea that citizens could be punished for their religious beliefs, and for going against the religions of others. He spoke out against official “state religions” One of his works, The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, made this quite clear.
“First, that the blood of so many hundred thousand souls of Protestants and Papists, spilt in the wars of present and former ages, for their respective consciences, is not required nor accepted by Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace…Thirdly, satisfactory answers are given to scriptures, and objections produced by Mr. Calvin, Beza, Mr. Cotton, and the ministers of the New English churches and others former and later, tending to prove the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience…Fourthly, the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience is proved guilty of all the blood of the souls crying for vengeance under the altar…Fifthly, all civil states with their officers of justice in their respective constitutions and administrations are proved essentially civil, and therefore not judges, governors, or defenders of the spiritual or Christian state and worship…Seventhly, the state of the Land of Israel, the kings and people thereof in peace and war, is proved figurative and ceremonial, and no pattern nor president for any kingdom or civil state in the world to follow.”
With this, we can be sure of his thoughts and ideals. It was because of writings like this that he was turned down for an eventual position with the Salem village, but he eventually did accept a position with the Plymouth village.
He continued to speak out against the King of England and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He also tried to improve upon Colony-Native American relations, but eventually was banished from his village, due to his teachings and outspoken ways. He settled with the Pequot tribe for the harsh winter.
Williams eventually did settle in Providence, Rhode Island. He received the land from the Native Americans, and settled with others who left Massachusetts when he was banished. It was a settlement in William’s image- religious freedom, and a strong division between church and state. The followers of Anne Hutchinson eventually joined with the Providence settlers, free to express their ideas.
Roger Williams believed in the freedoms of the new land, which shows even to this day. His writings and teachings inspired many of the founding fathers of America, and they used Williams’ ideas in many of the founding documents, particularly his stance on the separation of church and state. His vision of Providence is still held highly to this day, as it is considered a “safe haven” to many religions, including Catholics, Jews, Baptists, and many others. It’s staggering to think of how much a man who was banished from a settlement in colonial America has changed the face of the country to this day.
Works Cited:
Hall, Timothy. Separating Church and State: ROGER WILLIAMS AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1997
Gaustad, Edwin. Liberty of Conscience: Roger Williams in America. New York. Judson Press. 1999.
October 3rd, 2006
Literature of Early America
Character Analysis- Roger Williams
Roger Williams- Founder of Rhode Island. Theologian. Advocate of the separation of Church and State and fair treatment of Native Americans.
Williams was born in Edinburgh, England on December 21, 1603, to a Merchant family. He was very highly educated, and was particularly adept at learning languages, including Latin, Greek, Dutch, and French. At one time, he was teaching John Milton Dutch lessons in exchange for Hebrew lessons. He eventually graduated from Cambridge University, and became a chaplain. He slowly began to distrust and rise against the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud.
Archbishop Laud was a follower of absolute monarchy. He supported King Charles I, and the Divine Right ideal, which stated that the King owed his rule to the will of the Lord, and not to the will of his subjects. Roger Williams believed in a separation between the church and the state, and looked to the new lands to spread his belief- The New England colonies.
Williams traveled with his wife, Mary Barnard, to Boston in 1631. Once there he was invited to preach at the church, but it was not a separated church- it still followed the ideals of “Divine Right” that he had left behind. Williams began to spread his beliefs of separation of church and state, and one of the most important amendments to the future Consitution- Freedom of Religion.
He referred to it as “Soul Liberty”. Williams hated the idea that citizens could be punished for their religious beliefs, and for going against the religions of others. He spoke out against official “state religions” One of his works, The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, made this quite clear.
“First, that the blood of so many hundred thousand souls of Protestants and Papists, spilt in the wars of present and former ages, for their respective consciences, is not required nor accepted by Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace…Thirdly, satisfactory answers are given to scriptures, and objections produced by Mr. Calvin, Beza, Mr. Cotton, and the ministers of the New English churches and others former and later, tending to prove the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience…Fourthly, the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience is proved guilty of all the blood of the souls crying for vengeance under the altar…Fifthly, all civil states with their officers of justice in their respective constitutions and administrations are proved essentially civil, and therefore not judges, governors, or defenders of the spiritual or Christian state and worship…Seventhly, the state of the Land of Israel, the kings and people thereof in peace and war, is proved figurative and ceremonial, and no pattern nor president for any kingdom or civil state in the world to follow.”
With this, we can be sure of his thoughts and ideals. It was because of writings like this that he was turned down for an eventual position with the Salem village, but he eventually did accept a position with the Plymouth village.
He continued to speak out against the King of England and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He also tried to improve upon Colony-Native American relations, but eventually was banished from his village, due to his teachings and outspoken ways. He settled with the Pequot tribe for the harsh winter.
Williams eventually did settle in Providence, Rhode Island. He received the land from the Native Americans, and settled with others who left Massachusetts when he was banished. It was a settlement in William’s image- religious freedom, and a strong division between church and state. The followers of Anne Hutchinson eventually joined with the Providence settlers, free to express their ideas.
Roger Williams believed in the freedoms of the new land, which shows even to this day. His writings and teachings inspired many of the founding fathers of America, and they used Williams’ ideas in many of the founding documents, particularly his stance on the separation of church and state. His vision of Providence is still held highly to this day, as it is considered a “safe haven” to many religions, including Catholics, Jews, Baptists, and many others. It’s staggering to think of how much a man who was banished from a settlement in colonial America has changed the face of the country to this day.
Works Cited:
Hall, Timothy. Separating Church and State: ROGER WILLIAMS AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1997
Gaustad, Edwin. Liberty of Conscience: Roger Williams in America. New York. Judson Press. 1999.
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