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Such a life as Mr . Richards ' s affords few materials for bidgraj ^ y . l > r . Ev&ibs fe | s ^ refbre beeii db % ed to introduce much dieisiHtdry matter to fill up his volume . It cannot be denied , how&fepl that he has produced . a work to Whiffi ;^ w y ^^^ mes can object , wJfchi mSMijf pissages ' ttf which all persons of & feathdlic spirit will be
gratified , ^ fiff from wliicU yburtg persons or jtersdns of small opportunities of gaining knowledge may derite much useful instruction . Mr . Richard * had meditated a life of Roger Williams , the Founder of the State of Rhode Island , and had cbllected , with this view , some informal tion from America , which Dr . Evans
has inserted in an Appendix , Roger Williams was a trul y eminent man . He appears to have been the first in America who legislated upon the principle of universal liberty of conscience . He published , in 1644 , a small quarto of 250 pages , entitled , " The Bloody Tenet of Persecution , for the sake of
Conscience , discussed in a Conference between TTruth and Peace , who in all tender Affection present to the High Court of Parliament , ( as the Result of their Discourse , ) these , amongst other passages of highest consideration : €€ 1 . That the blood of so many hundred thousand souls of Protestants and
Papists , spilled in the wars of present and former , ages , for ^ tjieir respective consciences , is not required nor accepted by Jesus Christ , the Prince of Peace . " 2 . Pregnant Scriptures and arguments are throughout the work , proposed against the doctrine of persecution for the sake of conscience .
" 3 . Satisfactory answers are given to Scriptures and objections produced by Mr . Calvin , Beza , Mr . Cotton , and the ministers of the New England Churches and others , former and later , tending to prove the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience .
" 4 . ThG / doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience , is proved guilty of all the blood of the souls , crying for vengeance under the altar . . , . ff- tipaatMj 9 M officers of justice , in th £ jr respciptAv ^ cpiistitutions
and / . ad ^ ijnistmtion 3 , are prpved essentially g ^ a » £ thev 0 m 9 i ^ 0 p jud ^ es ^ femoi ^^ or ffom & * % SfatftWd v * wmP *< ? r » ^ r t flJS * It fe pie tvpdl ana ; cotnmand of dSK ^ t ^ «^ h « M ** f the Lord Jteaw * a permission of ihe niost
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I ^ ganis ^ Je ^ hiVl ^^ tian consciences and WrfMips were grs ^ fr &m ys ^^ and that ^ iNhd ^ Fi - ' ^ ftUSffihi ^^ Kii ^ fflu . pSSFSS&tt ^ is late ^' oi lNDU ^^ W 6 f Grid's sjfir j ^^ wl ^^ tiie ' Mng a » ai ^ dM ^ « K ^^^ foic # & w ^ r , is , proved figurative a ^ lPS& ^ monmi KBA ' v ^^^ mbm M ^ ^^^ SS&t ^ i any kingdom b ^^ fe s ^^^^ orld t 6 fblldiv . - ;^ Hn ' ¦ ] : i vWi 3 ^ w- ¦ '
" 8 . < 56 d re ^ iiifeth ; iiqi ^^ iilbrmity of religion to be enacted or ^ itforced in any civil state , which enforced uniformity , sooner or ; later , ? . i ^ > ti » B j greatest occasion ; ofi civil war * ravishing of iconscience , persecution of Christ ) Jesus in his servants , and of tjie hyppcrisy and destruction of millions of souls !
" " 9 . In holding an enforced uniformity 9 . In holding an enforce ^ uniformity of religion , in a civil state , we must necessarily disclaim our desires and hopes of the Jews' conversion to Christ . " 10 . An enforced uniformity of religion throughout a nation or- civil state , confounds the civil and religious , denies the principles of Christianity and civility and that Jesus Christ * is come in the
flesh " . 11 . The permission of other consciences and worships , than a state professeth , ( only can , according to God , ) procure a firm and lasting peace ; good assurance being taken , according to the wisdom of the civil state , for uniformity of civil obedience from all sorts ,.
" 12 . And lastly—True Civility anjl Christianity may both flourish in a state or kingdom , notwithstanding the permission of divers and contrary consciences either of Jew or Gentile . " Pp .
346—348 . This truly Christian Reformer was much harassed in his' settlement . The following is part of a letter from him , dated June 22 , 1670 , on an attempt of the proprie ^ oriT 6 f Connecticut to induce the government to invade the Charter ' Wjhtelx Settled the "bounds of Rhode Isfcio :
" I cotdd ^ vag&ravate this many ways with Scripture , rhetoric jftiidljswnilitudes , but I s ^ e ^^ ofj ^ od yB ^^ ftihy ^ icians apeajQ ) mkm ' itefltsite ^ iP ^ y- W must etpjm fa ^ jttfe Mj £ > %£ nien am 6 jngiay ^« Jn \^ m ^^ < tf f ^ etSdJi w ^ shquld not tie cfet ^ t ^^ i ^> < h ^ ^ Mdh ^ bS ^ mmmm ^ mmmbt *
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^ 4 Re ^ ieWj ^ Evan ^ s Memoirs of Ri ^ U ¥ M .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1820, page 304, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2488/page/48/
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