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

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Williams, Roger, 1604?-1683

Contributor:

Underhill, Edward Bean, 1813-1901

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience Discussed" by Roger Williams is a theological treatise written in the mid-17th century. The book engages with the pressing issue of religious freedom and the ethics of persecution, arguing against the imposition of religious beliefs on individuals by civil authorities. It is a significant work that reflects Williams' advocacy for the right to worship according to one's conscience, as well as the historical context of religious intolerance during his time. The opening of the work establishes the context of religious persecution in England and America, spotlighting the plight of dissenters like Roger Williams himself. Williams introduces his arguments against the practice of persecution, stating that it is contrary to the tenets of Christianity and leads to violence and suffering. He also discusses the historical foundations of religious governance, critiques the conflation of civil and ecclesiastical authority, and asserts that true faith cannot be compelled by force. The initial chapters set the stage for a deep philosophical and theological exploration of the individual's right to believe as they see fit, steering clear of coercion and advocating for a more compassionate approach to differing beliefs. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

E-text prepared by Brian Wilson, MFR, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 61.6 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bloudy_Tenent_of_Persecution_for_Cause_of_Conscience

Release date is 2021-07-01