The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience
Encyclopedia
The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience, Discussed in a Conference between Truth and Peace is a 1644 book about government force written by Roger Williams
, the founder of the American colony of Rhode Island
and the co-founder of the First Baptist Church in America
. Using biblical reasoning, the book argues for a "wall of separation" between church and state
and for state toleration of various Christian denominations, including Catholicism, and also "paganish, Jewish, Turkish or anti-Christian consciences and worships." The book takes the form of a dialogue between Truth and Peace and is a response to correspondence by Boston minister, John Cotton, regarding Cotton's support for state enforcement of religious uniformity
in Massachusetts. Through his interpretation of the Bible, Williams argues that Christianity
requires the existence of a separate civil authority
that may not generally infringe upon liberty of conscience which Williams interpreted to be a God given right.
and several writings of Thomas Jefferson
regarding religious freedom.
interpretations), and therefore opposing the traditional Puritan exegesis
, which supported using state force in some "religious" matters.:
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
, the founder of the American colony of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
and the co-founder of the First Baptist Church in America
First Baptist Church in America
The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as First Baptist Meetinghouse. The oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, it was founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638...
. Using biblical reasoning, the book argues for a "wall of separation" between church and state
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
and for state toleration of various Christian denominations, including Catholicism, and also "paganish, Jewish, Turkish or anti-Christian consciences and worships." The book takes the form of a dialogue between Truth and Peace and is a response to correspondence by Boston minister, John Cotton, regarding Cotton's support for state enforcement of religious uniformity
Religious uniformity
Religious uniformity occurs when government is used to promote one state religion, denomination, or philosophy to the exclusion of all other religious beliefs.-History:...
in Massachusetts. Through his interpretation of the Bible, Williams argues that Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
requires the existence of a separate civil authority
Civil authority
Civil authority is that apparatus of the state other than its military units that enforces law and order. It is also used to distinguish between religious authority and secular authority...
that may not generally infringe upon liberty of conscience which Williams interpreted to be a God given right.
Impact
The 1644 text is considered among Williams' best argued even though it was written under presumably rushed conditions and is stylistically difficult. Many of the original copies of The Bloudy Tenent were burned by order of a Parliamentary faction offended by Williams' view of government. Upon reading Williams' book, John Cotton responded defending his positions in a publication entitled, The Bloudy Tenent, Washed, and Made White in the Bloud of the Lamb. Upon his return to London in 1652, Williams again published a defense of his positions and responded to Cotton in The Bloody Tenent Yet More Bloudy by Mr. Cotton's Endeavour to Wash it White in the Blood of the Lamb; of Whose Precious Blood, Spilt in the Bloud of his Servants; and of the Blood of Millions Spilt in Former and Later Wars for Conscience Sake, That Most Bloody Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience, upon, a Second Tryal Is Found More Apparently and More Notoriously Guilty, etc. (London, 1652). The original Bloudy Tenent was later cited as a philosophical source for the First Amendment to the United States ConstitutionFirst Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
and several writings of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
regarding religious freedom.
Biblical Support for Christians Not Using Government Force
In the Bloudy Tenent and other writings, Williams interpreted many passages in the Old and New Testaments as limiting government interference in religious matters (in line with contemporary BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
interpretations), and therefore opposing the traditional Puritan exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
, which supported using state force in some "religious" matters.:
- Williams believed that historic Israel was a unique covenantCovenant (biblical)A biblical covenant is an agreement found in the Bible between God and His people in which God makes specific promises and demands. It is the customary word used to translate the Hebrew word berith. It it is used in the Tanakh 286 times . All Abrahamic religions consider the Biblical covenant...
kingdom and not an appropriate government model for New Testament Christians who believed that the Old Testament covenant had been fulfilled through Christ. Therefore, Williams asserted that the more informative Old Testament examples of civil government were "good" non-covenant kings such as ArtaxerxesArtaxerxes I of PersiaArtaxerxes I was the sixth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 465 BCE to 424 BCE. He was the son of Xerxes I of Persia and Amestris, daughter of Otanes.*Artaxerxes I was the sixth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 465 BCE to 424 BCE. He was the son of Xerxes I of Persia and...
, a pagan who tolerated the Jews in the Book of EzraBook of EzraThe Book of Ezra is a book of the Hebrew Bible. Originally combined with the Book of Nehemiah in a single book of Ezra-Nehemiah, the two became separated in the early centuries of the Christian era...
, and "bad" kings such as NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar was the name of several kings of Babylonia.* Nebuchadnezzar I, who ruled the Babylonian Empire in the 12th century BC* Nebuchadnezzar II , the Babylonian ruler mentioned in the biblical Book of Daniel...
in the Book of DanielBook of DanielThe Book of Daniel is a book in the Hebrew Bible. The book tells of how Daniel, and his Judean companions, were inducted into Babylon during Jewish exile, and how their positions elevated in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The court tales span events that occur during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar,...
who oppressively forced the Jews (including DanielDanielDaniel is the protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative, when Daniel was a young man, he was taken into Babylonian captivity where he was educated in Chaldean thought. However, he never converted to Neo-Babylonian ways...
, Shadrach, Meshach, and AbednegoShadrach, Meshach, and AbednegoShadrach, Meshach and Abednego are characters in the biblical Hebrew book of Daniel Chapters 1 – 3, known for their exclusive devotion to God. In particular, they are known for being saved by divine intervention from the Babylonian execution of being burned alive in a fiery furnace...
) to worship the state god. Williams also used the example of NabothNabothNaboth "the Jezreelite," is the central figure of a story from the Old Testament. According to the story, Naboth was the owner of a plot on the eastern slope of the hill of Jezreel...
's Vineyard in as an example of a bad civil government abusing its religious power. - Williams interpreted the Parable of the Tares in the to support toleration of all of the "weeds" (heretics) in the world, because civil persecution often inadvertently hurts the "wheat" (believers) too, and instead it was God's duty to judge in the end, not man's.
- Williams personally related to St. Paul's persecutions by various authorities. Williams cited the legitimate role of government in Paul's letter to the as applying only to enforcement of the second table of the Ten CommandmentsTen CommandmentsThe Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
(last five commandments involving hurting other people). Williams also cited where Paul appealed to Caesar presumably regarding only his alleged civil violations (those not resulting in a death sentence, in contrast to capital religious violations like heresy). - Finally, Williams interpreted to support the use of spiritual, not civil weapons and believed that Christ's letters in these chapters were written to and applied to churches not civil governments. Williams interpreted 's Beast of Revelation prophesy as representing all state churches (including those in Europe and Massachusetts) that used government force to coerce corrupt political goals in the name of Christianity.
External links
- The Bloody Tenent of Persecution (1867 reprint) (accessed July 10, 2009 on Google Books)
- Roger Williams, Richard Groves, The bloudy tenent of persecution for cause of conscience: discussed in a conference between truth and peace : who, in all tender affection, present to the High Court of Parliament, (as the result of their discourse) these, (among other passages) of highest consideration (Mercer University Press, 2001)0865547661, 9780865547667 (accessible on Google Books, July 28, 2009)
See also
- Roger WilliamsRoger Williams (theologian)Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
- A Key into the Language of AmericaA Key Into the Language of AmericaA Key into the Language of America is a book written by Roger Williams in 1643 describing the Native American languages in New England in the 17th century...
- Christian debate on persecution and toleration