Roger Williams, Prophet and Pioneer of Soul-Liberty

by Arthur Barsazou Strickland

He was the first man in modern Christendom to establish civil government on the doctrine of the liberty of conscience, the equality of opinions before the law, and in its defence he was the harbinger of Milton, the precursor and the superior of Jeremy Taylor.... Let then the name of Roger Williams be preserved in universal history as one who advanced moral and political science, and made himself a benefactor of his race.—George Bancroft, in “History of the United States.”

In the seventeenth century there was no place but the wilderness for such a John the Baptist of the distant future as Roger Williams. He did not belong among the diplomatic builders of churches, like Cotton, or the political founders of States, like Winthrop. He was but a babbler to his own time, but the prophetic voice rings clear and far, and ever clearer as the ages go on.—Edward Eggleston, in “The Beginners of a Nation.”

PORTSMOUTH, Newport, and Rhode Island, with common interests and ideals, were protected and throve under the original charter granted in 1644. Charles I was surrendered to the Parliamentary forces in January, 1647. The colony, therefore, felt strong to act under the Parliamentary charter granted them. A general assembly of the people was called, and the charter was adopted. Shawomet, settled by the Gortonists, had also received a charter from the same source and, in honor of Warwick, their protector, they changed the name of their town to Warwick. They were admitted also to the General Assembly. The first meeting of the Assembly declared that the form of government in Providence Plantations was “democratical,” that is to say, “government held by the free and voluntary consent of all or of the greater part of the free inhabitants.” The seal of the colony was an anchor. The executive branch of the government was vested in a president of the colony and four assistants, one from each town. These officers, elected by the General Assembly, had no part in legislation. The Assembly at that time was not composed of delegates, but included all the freemen of the colony. Each town had a court of commissioners composed of six members. These four town courts combined became a General Court of Trials, having to do with the weightier offenses, and also acted as a Court of Appeals from the town courts. There was also a general treasurer, a general recorder, a general sergeant, and later a general solicitor.

A code of laws was drawn up. One, the Statute of Archery, shows the isolation of this colony. It required that every man between seventeen and seventy should keep a bow and four arrows. Fathers should furnish each of their sons, between the ages of seven and seventeen, with “a bow, two arrows, and a shaft, and to bring them up to shooting.” This was done because the colony could not get gunpowder for firearms, since the other colonies refused to sell them any, or allow it to be exported through their posts to them.

The Fourth Paper,
Presented by
Maior Butler,
To the Honourable Committee of
Parliament, for the Propagating the
Gospel of Christ JESUS.
VVhich Paper was humbly owned, and
was, and is attended to be made good
{ Major Butler. } { Mr. Jackson.
By { Mr. Charles Vane. } { Mr. VVall. And
{ Col. Danvers. } { Mr. Turner.
ALSO
A Letter from Mr. Goad, to Major
Butler, upon occasion of the said
Paper and Proposals.
Together with
A Testimony to the said fourth Paper,
By way or Explanation upon the four
PROPOSALS of it.
BY R. W.
Unto which is subjoyned the Fifteen Proposals
of the MINISTERS.
London, Printed for Giles Calvert, at the Black-spred-Eagle at the
West-end of Pauls. M DC LII.

Roger Williams’ Second Visit to England

The ambitious designs of Coddington in seeking to divide the colony were such that Williams and Clarke were obliged to go to England in 1651. Coddington had secured a charter making him governor for life of Rhode Island, then the richest portion of the State. Williams and Clarke in 1652 secured an order-in-council nullifying Coddington’s commission. Williams remained in England until the summer of 1654 and labored there for the interests of the colony and also for the general benefit of all oppressed people, including the Jews. In his appeal to the Parliament, found as a comment in the tract entitled “Butler’s Fourth Paper,” an original copy of which is in the John Carter Brown Library, at Providence, he says:

Oh, that it would please the Father of Spirits to affect the heart of Parliament with such a merciful sense of the Soul-Bars and Yokes which our fathers have laid upon the neck of this nation, and at last to proclaim a true and absolute Soul-Freedom to all the people of the land impartially, so that no person be forced to pray nor pay, otherwise than as his Soul believeth and consenteth.

He plead especially that permission be granted the Jews “to live freely and peaceably amongst them.”