On
Religious Liberty
From "The Bloody
Tenet of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience, in a Conference
between Truth and Peace, 1644"
By ROGER WILLIAMS
To every Courteous Reader,
While I plead the cause
of truth and innocency against the bloody
doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience,
I judge it not unfit to give alarm to myself, and all men
to prepare to be persecuted or hunted for cause of
conscience.
Whether thou standest
charged with ten or but two talents [individuals], if thou
huntest any for cause of conscience, how canst thou say
thou followest the Lamb of God who so abhorred that
practice?
If Paul, if Jesus Christ,
were present here at London, and the question were proposed what
religion would they approve of: the Papists, Prelatists
[Episcopalians], Presbyterians, Independents, etc. would each
say, "Of mine, of mine."
But put the second
question, if one of the several sorts should by major vote
attain the sword of steel: what weapons doth Christ Jesus
authorize them to fight with in His cause? Do not all men hate
the persecutor, and every conscience true or false complain of
cruelty, tyranny? etc.
Two mountains of crying
guilt lie heavy upon the backs of all that name the name of
Christ in the eyes of Jews, Turks and Pagans.
First, the blasphemies of
their idolatrous inventions, superstitions, and most unchristian
conversations.
Secondly, the bloody,
irreligious and inhumane oppressions and destructions under the
mask of veil of the name of Christ, etc.
O how like is the jealous
Jehovah, the consuming fire to end these present slaughters in a
greater slaughter of the holy witnesses? Revelation 11.
Six years preaching of so
much truth of Christ (as that time afforded in King Edward's
days) kindles the flames of Queen Mary's bloody persecutions.
Who can now but expect
that after so many scores of years preaching and professing of
more truth, and amongst so many great contentions amongst the
very best Protestants, a fiery furnace should be heat, and who
sees not now the fires kindling?
I confess I have little
hopes till those flames are over, that this discourse against
the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience should pass
current (I say not amongst the wolves and lions, but even
amongst the sheep of Christ themselves) yet liberavi animam
meam, [Latin: I have freed my soul] I have not hid within my
breast my soul's belief; and although sleeping on the bed either
of the pleasures or profits of sin thou thinkest thy conscience
bound to smite at him that dares to waken thee? Yet in the midst
of all thse civil and spiritual wars [Civil war broke out in
England in 1642] I hope we shall agree in these particulars.
First, however, the proud
(upon the advantage of a higher earth or ground) overlook the
poor and cry out schismatics, heretics, etc. shall blasphemers
and seducers escape unpunished, etc. Yet there is a sorer
punishment in the Gospel for despising of Christ than Moses,
even when the despiser of Moses was put to death without mercy,
Hebrews: 10.28-29, "He that believeth
not shall be damned, " Mark 16.16.
Secondly, whatever
worship, ministry, ministration, the best and purest are
practiced without faith and true persuasion that they are the
true institutions of God, they are sin, sinful worship,
ministries, etc. And however in civil things we may be servants
unto men, yet in divine and spiritual things the poorest peasant
must distrain the service of the highest prince: "Be ye not the
servants of men," I Corinthians 14.
Thirdly, without search
and trial no man attains this faith and right persuasion, I
Thessalonians 5. "Try all things."
In vain have English
Parliaments permitted English Bibles in the poorest English
houses, and the simplest man or woman to search the Scriptures,
if yet against their soul's persuasion from the Scripture, they
should be forced (as if they lived in Spain or Rome itself
without the sight of a Bible) to believe as the Church believes.
Fourthly, having tried,
we must hold fast, I Thessalonians 5. upon the loss of a crown,
Revelation 13. we must not let go for all the flea bitings of
the present afflictions, etc. having bought truth dear, we must
not sell it cheap, not the least grain of it for the whole
world, no not for the saving of souls, though our own most
precious; least of all for the bitter sweetening of a little
vanishing pleasure.
For a little puff of
credit and reputation from the changeable breath of uncertain
sons of men.
For the broken bags of
riches on eagles' wings; For a dream of these, any or all of
these which on our deathbed vanish and leave tormenting stings
behind them: Oh, how much better is it from the love of truth,
from the love of the Father of Lights, from whence it comes,
from the love of the Son of God, who is the way and the truth,
to say as He. "For this end was I
born, and for this end came I into the world that I might bear
witness to the truth." John 18. 37
Roger
Williams
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