| Show ROGER WILLIAMS o D BT GAS > ELL Roger Williams was born inV all AD 1606 was educated at Cambridge Cam-bridge had Sir Edward Ccke for an instructor and in after years Milton for a friend He was ever an uncompromising un-compromising advocate of freedom had a fiscd dislike to ceremonies and belonged to the most radical cf all dissenters and Baptiste Infart baptism was opposed by them and as he bad been baptised in infancy as his views changed during bis ministry at Salem he must needs be baptised again selecting Ezekiel Holhman a layman for that sacred duty whom he in turn ba teed in company with ten others Such was the origin of the tint Baptet Church in Arueria In 1631 he landed at Boston iiI ii-I fugitive from persecution eleven years after the landing of the Pilgrims on that rockbound coast Ho was already noted for tho freedom aud liberality of hie views and for his fondness in displaying them and his reputation as a picncher being more than respectable they looked for much good from hia labors and got it t but nut in the way they anticipated antici-pated He in common with the Puritans of that day helicved that every man had the right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience but while claiming it themselves they were not willing LOW they had power to accord it to Others who difiered from them He carried this belief still farther advo eating that civil law had no right to interfere in matters of religion nor to enact any law whatever in regard to it more than its tuleration Thia may be called perhaps the fault of the age more taaa that of the Pun tan who only carried cut tha practice of ages The state of aDaira was peculiar Only about onefourth of the people were eligible as voters taxes were enforced for the suppoit cf religion oaths of obedience to magistrates i were required from allattendance at church was compulsory and none but church members were eligible as voters or for officeall this he opposed op-posed telling the magistrates that ate a-te t of church membership to qualify a voter nr a public officer was about equal tj chcsing a doctor of physic or a pilot of a ship on account ot tm skill in theology He refused to take the freemana oath nor was he backward back-ward in telling others to refuse so likewise This course could not fail to bring him trouble as tho magistrates magis-trates were in a manner compelled ti interfere lor the proper enforcement enforce-ment of the laws as they tL ° n were He first settled at Salem and tho people would have made him their minister bad net the magistrates of Boston remembering his obnoxious proceedings dissuaded them from it and he movel for a short time to New Plymouth but returned ta Salem on the death of the Rev Mr shelton and became its pastor by choice of the people His popularity was however how-ever but short lived Not quieted by his election to Salem he sent letters of admonition to Boston accusing the magistrates who were church members mem-bers of many oflencea and claiming EO church pure but that of Salem lo cap the climax of his innovations he persuaded Mr Endicott to cut the cross out of the kings coors because it savored of image worship and many of the militia refused to train under a flag so mutilated A melancholy sort of Providence had prepared the way for the peaceful peace-ful settlement of the Puritans in New England A dreadful pestilence before their arrival had broken out among the aborigines and not knowing know-ing how to treat it they had mostly died out or fled in terror to amalgamate amalga-mate with other tribes and the land for many miles was unclaimed As the power of the colonies increased they were not scrupulous as to how they increased their borders The custom of that day was for a king to grant a charter to some one or a company of persons empowering them to take possession of all lands situated within certain boundaries of latitude irrespective of tho rights of the original inhabitants and to plant colonies cud make settlements thereon The strong arm of power could alone make such grants valid nor did the deep religious enthusiasm of the times interfere by its sense of justice to protect a weaker and less intelligent race from the encroachments encroach-ments of thosa who in their godly bigotry acknowledged the hand of the Lord even in th ° ir cruelly The POliO of Rome bad set the example dividing the newlyfound and the yet to be discovered portions of the earth and its inhabitants into two patti toll west of a certiin meredian being given to Scam IInd all east thereof to Portugal Nations excluded from this partitu n were not willing to subscribe to this bighhendeil i mcaure and whilst denying the Holy Fathers right to give away at will kings and rulers were willing end ell I er to nrofit by his examule Roger Williams deemed this to be wrong nor was he at all backward in letting others know hie opinions He believed in justice tho poor Indian though weak should be paid for his lands in honest larter no diflerence what portly priest or powerful power-ful king had given them away Thia in the eyes of the Puritan fathers was rank heresy i and a pamphlet ho had written but net published = in defence of these views was condemned and ordered to be publicy burned For peace VII 1arus submitted though he still held to his opinions Much fear was excited by his teachinss and actions l and failing to quiet his innovations on the established 0 der of thin he was tried end the sentence of banishment banish-ment oassed against him Another Cause of excitement and r vexation for the orthodox Puritans was the arrival about this time of a Mrs Eutchineon a talented woman of considerable eloquence and powerful power-ful mind and more tnan enthused with the spirit of the ago She instituted insti-tuted weekly meetings for members closed of her own sex not however entirely to tho male population Hal she confined herself to tho teaching of the goepel according to her own would have been ideas she perhaps let alone but 6hfa commented freely upon the sermons of tbb preceding Sunday intrspeosed lith mystical octrim caltuated and V j HViaSaiJ fc rJ wfc to excite and alarm the people Several prominent men and minisieia embraced her principles and tock up her dofenee and heated and intem points aiscuasions followed but the oitbodox party Vas too powerful to fail in such struggle and her ttash insw were declared heretical and she vjfta banished from the colony During his residence at Salem it s was a custom of Williams to make short excursions among the Indians and he bEcame thus better acquainted with them and their manner anti customs Being known as their staunch advocate and friend he was ever treated by them with consideration consider-ation and kindneee He learned their language and strove to benefit them and when at last banished from the habitations of his own countrymen country-men he found his reward Though the sentence of banishment was made against him in 1634 yet he lingered in Salem until January 1636 when hearing that mraiurea had been taken lo transport him bak to England Eng-land ho fled in ezile to the wilier nese in search of a new home For fourteen weeks he wandered on through the snows of winter sleeping in hollow trees or tin the frozen ground living on acorns and roots and parched corn Ma saspit sachem of the Warnpanoagj invited him to his wigwam at fokanoket and mini tered to his wanta All redmen I ceived him kindly supplied big wants liberally and C < tum lens sachem or king of the Narra gansetls gave him land at Seekpnlr whereon ho might settle and build a habitation He built a house and planted his crop but not even her could ho rest the Plymouth company com-pany claimed it as within the limits of their chatter and ordered him to mOra on laitbcr into tho wilderness Without murmuring at fortuno ho did so and with five companions who had joined him in exile he embarked in a frail birchen canoe of Indian manufacture and descending the river cioseed to the west side of Narragansett Bay out of control of his enemies He slaked his thirst at a beautiful spring and near it reared I anew his habitation and in gratitude to Gods merciful providence to him in his distress he named the place Providence Tho land was honorably honor-ably purchased and raid for Canoni CUs and Mmntinomah receiving him as a friend and brother Thus feeble in its beginnings was tho birth of Rhode Island a state small in area but great in benefits conferred upon humanitybeing a refuge for tbs oppressed of all lands Christian Mohammedan Jew or pagan being equally secure within its borders from persecution on account of religious re-ligious belief Maryland had already secured toleration for all Cdriatian sects but to Roger Williams and to Rhode Island belong tho immortal honor of making that toleration universal and world embracing His teachings mean timo bad borne rut in Maaauihusettp In defiance of tae opposition of the clergy a representative form of government was instituted The lEarned but bigoted Cotton Mather preached powerfully and eloquently against the change but in vain and to make the reform complete the BALLOr Box was substituted for the old metLod of voting Instead of bringing the expected ex-pected peace his banishment had left strife and disunion behind him aa the people more and more recognized their power and saw in the truth of his teachings the injustice injus-tice oi his banishment The dwm ercjfedneaa of Roger Williams Wil-liams may be pliced in favorable companoa with that of many who claim Chritt an charity anti virtue in the present day and shines far superior The lands he had bought of Canonicus and Miantinomah were virtually his own He had paid for tnem himself yet he sought not to make merchandise of them All who camo were freely welcomed and had lands given them He retained only two small fields for his own use which he planted and tilled with his own hands He claimed no right no privileges superior to othersall powers of government were centred in the people the only requirement to the newcomer being that he sign an agreement to be obedient to Liwa made by the majority of the people in all things not affecting matters of conscience IhiU was to be un trameled all being free to worship as they pleased so that they interfered nct with the rights of others Though banished by the authorities authori-ties of Masnchusetta he showed how a good man can forget an injury Dunns the bloody Pequod war of 1637 in which that powerful tribe was exterminated he exerted himself successfully in keeping the Narra gansetts on friendly terms with tho whites He visited the chiefs at their homes and decided their friendship friend-ship His own settlement at Providence I Provi-dence was comparatively secure as hlj red friends were between it and the Pequods In consequence ot his services on this occasion efforts were mude to haY him recalled from exile but bigotry was too powerful and the attempt failed The confederation of the New England colonies for mutual assist and and safety took placo in 1613 but Rhode Island was sternly refused admittance thereto They were constantly con-stantly tiUfct d with their weakness and dangerous isolation Finding taemselvvs tbus alone they sought protection from the mother country aod the mission was entrusted to Roger Williams who sailed from Ntw York for his native land By the aid and BBsiatance of his friend Sir Henry Vane he succeeded in l getting a charier for the tona of Providence Portamoatb and Newport New-port thus closing out the claims of the older colonies to tho ownership of the country The charter gave them power to make their own laws by mutual consent of the majority He returned to America landing in Boston September 17th 1644 He brought A conciliatory letter signed by many of tho moat eminent men of England to the authorities in the colonies but it was ot no aiall they would do was to allow him to travel unmolested through their territory Instead of becoming piesi dent of the newly chartered colony which he could easily have done ho acted as assistant for the town of Providence Though the colonists voted him the sum of 100 to defray hid expenses in procuring tho charter yet this sum was never paid in full and having a large family depending on him he started a trade in furs with the neighboring Indian tribes who were delighted to deal with a man so honest Scarcely however had he erected his trading house and shown that his business would prove remunerative than the ccbniats involved in fresh difficulties wished him to go once more to ngland to permanently settle all disputed point After repeated re-peated eohcitatona he yielded and telling his trading house and business to Bippirt isis family during his absence and to defray his travelling expense which tue colonists were too poor to advance he set out He ful the aid vaJ agem successful through of bis enlightened friend of libeitj i Sir Henry Vane As however the I affair took some time to complete he commenced the teaching oi languages lan-guages in Lonfoi t asaigt his wife and family at home The General Asaembly o Pro IJt ne sent Ivm a = o it n r letter to be presented requesting the i honorable state to invest him for the I term ot one year with the offica ot governor Williams opposed by principle such a course put the letter in IIH pocket and said nothing He returned in 1654 and at the first general election wa chosen president presi-dent of that commonwealth for the term of two years displaying great Srrnnp and liberality of sentiment while in olficp He retired from the position in May 1658 Ho was frequently fre-quently honored by appo nlmenia of great weight and trust though be had no desire for office The charter he was instrumental in procuring on his second visit to England was the first evar signed by a UgWI18 the astonishment of the age for its liberality liber-ality and remained she fundamental law of Rhode Island for 180 yaara not being altered till 1843 In 1675 the terrible Indian war urged on by the famous King Philip broke out Roger Williams tried vainly to exercise his usual power over the Indianr but finding al of no avail ho took up the sword and wag captain of a train band for the protection of the city which however was destroyed with most cf the records by the Indian He has been accused of wavering in his religious faith changing at different periods and of being controversial troversial in his dealings with ether Iects Yet he was a sincere Christian and one of the moat disinterested men that ever lived He died in his ightyfourth year leaving as a legacy leg-acy to posterity the precious gift of universal toleration and religious freedom |
