Home / Authors / Roger Williams

Roger Williams

Roger Williams Quotes

Theologian

Roger Williams (1603-1683) was an English theologian and political philosopher, known for his contributions to religious freedom and democratic governance. He is recognized as a pioneer in the development of American constitutional and democratic principles.

Filter quotes by topic

All Christ Men Church Conscience Jesus States World Ifs Magistrates May Soul Worship Body Christian Law Lord People Religious Uniformity Witness

Famous Roger Williams Quotes

“God requireth not a uniformity of religion to be enacted in any civil state; which enforced uniformity (sooner or later) is the greatest occasion of civil war, ravishing of conscience, persecution of Christ Jesus in his servants, and of the hypocrisy and destruction of millions of souls.”

War Soul States Jesus Christ Millions Civilization Conscience Destruction Occasions Servant Civil War Hypocrisy Sooner Or Later Persecution Uniformity

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

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

“If the civil magistrate be a Christian, a disciple or follower of the meek Lamb of God, he is bound to be far from destroying the bodies of men for refusing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ: for otherwise he would be ignorant of the sweet end of Christ's coming, which was to save the bodies and souls of men.”

Ifs Men Soul Ends Body Would Be Christian Jesus Christ Lord Sweet Jesus Christ Bounds Ignorant Followers Destroying Disciple Lambs Meek Lord Jesus Christ Magistrates Lamb Of God

Author:Roger Williams

“Even if the civil magistrate is so gifted as to prophesy in the church, yet in the sphere of his civil duties he is forbidden to call down fire from heaven, that is, to procure or inflict any corporal punishment upon offenders in religious doctrine or practice, remembering Christ's admonition that He came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.”

Ifs Men Remember Heaven Christ Church Religious Practice Fire Duty Punishment Doctrine Spheres Gifted Forbidden Offenders Magistrates Admonition Corporal Punishment

Author:Roger Williams

“If any refuse to obey the common laws and orders of the ship concerning their common peace or preservation; if any shall mutiny or rise up against their commanders and officers; if any should preach or write that there should be no commanders or officers because all are equal in Christ, therefore no master or officers, no laws nor orders, nor corrections nor punishments - I say I never denied that in such cases, the commander may judge, resist, compel, and punish such transgressors according to their deserts and merits.”

“My aim is to lay bare and proclaim the crying and horrible guilt of the bloody doctrine of persecution as one of the most seditious, destructive, blasphemous, and bloodiest in any or all the nations of the world, notwithstanding the many fine veils, pretenses, and colors of not persecuting Christ Jesus, but heretics; not God's truth or servants, but blasphemers and seducers; not persecuting men for their conscience, but for sinning against their conscience; and like specious reasonings to justify the cruelty of intolerance.”

“It is but little of the world yet that hath heard the lost estate of mankind and of a Savior, Christ Jesus; and as yet the fullness of the gentiles has not come, and probably shall not until the downfall of the Papacy.”

World Littles Jesus Lost Christ Heard Mankind Savior Estates Fullness Downfall Gentiles

Author:Roger Williams

“Whatever tumults and strifes await God's witnesses, it remains clear that the doctrine of persecution for the sake of conscience is most evidently and lamentably contrary to the doctrine of Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace.”

Jesus Christ Clear Conscience Remains Sake Contrary Doctrine Witness Persecution Tumult Prince Of Peace

Author:Roger Williams

“In my plea for freedom to all consciences in matters merely of worship, I have impartially pleaded for freedom of the consciences of the Papists themselves, the greatest enemies and persecutors in Europe of the saints and truths of Jesus; yet I have pleaded for no more than is their due and right. Whatever else shall be the consequence of this plea, it shall stand for a monument and testimony against them and be an aggravation of their former, present, and future cruelties against Christ Jesus the Head, and all that uprightly love Him, His true disciples and followers.”

Matter Jesus Christ Enemy Worship Conscience Consequence Europe Saint Dues Cruelty Former Followers Disciple Testimony Monument Aggravation

Author:Roger Williams

“How frequent, how constant ought we to be, like Christ Jesus our example, in doing good, especially to the souls of men and especially to the household of faith (yea, even to our enemies), when we remember that this is our seed time, of which every minute is precious, and that as our sowing is, so shall be our eternal harvest.”

Men Soul Remember Jesus Christ Enemy Minutes Example Ought Eternal Constant Seeds Household Harvest Doing Good Sowing

Author:Roger Williams

“An enforced uniformity of religion throughout a nation or civil state, confounds the civil and religious, denies the principles of Christianity and civility, and that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.”

States Jesus Nations Christ Religious Christianity Principles Jesus Christ Deny Flesh Civility Church And State Separation Of Church And State Uniformity Religious Liberty

Book:On Religious Liberty: Selections from the Works of Roger Williams

Source: On Religious Liberty: Selections from the Works of Roger Williams

“We find not in the Gospel, that Christ hath anywhere provided for the uniformity of churches, but only for their unity.”

Christ Church Unity Uniformity

Author:Roger Williams

“There is no regularly constituted church of Christ on earth, nor any person qualified to administer any church ordinances; nor can there be until new apostles are sent by the Great Head of the Church for whose coming I am seeking.”

Persons Earth Christ Church Seeking Qualified Apostles Ordinances Church Of Christ

Author:Roger Williams