Roger Williams
Roger Williams
Roger Williamswas a Puritan, an English Reformed theologian, and later a Reformed Baptist who was an early proponent of religious freedom and separation of church and state, and a supporter of members of the Free Will Baptist movement...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionTheologian
men mercy policy
'Tis but worldly policy and compliance with men and times (God's mercy overruling) that holds your hands from the murdering of thousands and ten thousands, were your power and command as great as the bloody Roman emperors' formerly was.
mourning storm beast
The ministry or service of prophets and witnesses, mourning and prophesying in sackcloth, God has directly commissioned and upheld all during the reign of the beast and antichrist of Rome. This witness is probably near finished, and the bloody storm of slaughter is yet to be expected and prepared for.
jesus christ persecution
Whatever tumults and strifes await God's witnesses, it remains clear that the doctrine of persecution for the sake of conscience is most evidently and lamentably contrary to the doctrine of Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
christian sweet jesus
If the civil magistrate be a Christian, a disciple or follower of the meek Lamb of God, he is bound to be far from destroying the bodies of men for refusing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ: for otherwise he would be ignorant of the sweet end of Christ's coming, which was to save the bodies and souls of men.
giving lord repentance
It is only the Lord who is able to give [unbelievers] repentance and recover them out of Satan's snare.
natural
The magistrates of whom Paul wrote were natural, ungodly, persecuting, and yet lawful magistrates, to be obeyed in all lawful civil things.
people
Kings and magistrates are invested with no more power than the people entrust to them.
religious great-day judgment
While I deplored and denounced the incivilities of Quakerism in my day (such as the going naked in public by some at sundry times), my position regarding their religious views was, "They will answer to God, at their own peril, in the great day approaching [that is, the day of divine judgment]."
war men plies
All men of conscience or prudence ply to windward, to maintain their wars to be defensive.
doubt trying firsts
When in doubt, try nutrition first.
states uniformity
God requireth not an uniformity of Religion to be inacted and inforced in any civill state.
stupid sometimes truth-is
Sometimes the truth is stupid.
church malice hostility
I do not condone hostility toward any church simply to vent personal malice or umbrage.
prayer soul liberty
There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth or a human combination or society. It hath fallen out sometimes that Papists, Protestants, Jews, and Turks may be embarked in one ship; upon which supposal I affirm that all the liberty of conscience that ever I pleaded for turns upon these two hinges: that none of the Papists, Protestants, Jews, or Turks be forced to come to the ships prayers or worship, nor be compelled [restrained] from their own particular prayers or worship, if they practice any.