The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience Discussed and Mr. Cotton's Letter Examined and Answered

The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience Discussed and Mr. Cotton's Letter Examined and Answered is a book written by Roger Williams. The book is a response to a letter written by John Cotton, a prominent Puritan minister, in which he defended the persecution of those who disagreed with the Puritan doctrine. Williams argues against this position, asserting that true religion cannot be forced upon anyone and that the government should not have the power to punish individuals for their religious beliefs. He also discusses the history of religious persecution and the dangers of allowing the government to interfere with matters of conscience. The book is considered a landmark in the history of religious freedom and played a significant role in shaping the American concept of separation of church and state.1848. Rogers was one of the Seekers, a group that adhered to no specific religious practices. It is as a Seeker that he wrote The Bloudy Tenent, while in England attempting to win back the charter for Rhode Island, his enclave of religious toleration amidst the intolerance of the Puritans. Williams' belief, and the main theme of The Bloudy Tenent, was that all individuals and religious bodies were entitled to religious liberty as a natural right, and that civil governments did not have the authority to enforce religious laws. The Bloudy Tenent is structured as a type of dialog between Truth (as seen by Puritans like John Cotton) and Peace (Williams' view) over the issue of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience (namely, the issue of laws favoring one religion over another, and their validity from a scriptural point of view.) It was Williams' thesis that these laws, or any use of secular authority to promote any religious sect, was contrary to the teachings in the Bible. To do so, in Williams' view, was to fall prey to the same error as the tenants in the biblical parable, who killed the son of the landowner in order to lay claim to his property. The Bloudy Tenent is considered to be significant among the works of this period. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.