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 AN ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ¥fiITIIGS OF ROGER WILLIAMS. 
 
 " RoGEn WiixiAMs," snjs Professor Gervinus, in his recent 
 
 in rocmction to the History of the Nineteenth Century, "foun- 
 
 cled, in 16bG, a small new society in Rhode Island/upon tlie 
 
 ^^prmciples of entire liberty of conscience, and the nncontrohed 
 
 . power ot_ the majority in secular concerns. TJie tlieories of 
 
 ^^ freedom m churcli and state, taught in the schools of philoso- 
 phy m J^urope, were here brought into practice in the o-ov- 
 eminent of a small community. It was prophesied that^the 
 c emocratic att<?mpts to obtain universal su^-age, a general 
 elective frnndiise, annual parliaments, entire religious freedom, 
 
 ^^ and tlie Miltonian right of scliism, would be of short duration! 
 But these institutions have not only maintained themselves 
 
 ^^ Here, but have spread over the whole union. They have su- 
 
 ^perseued tne aristocratic commencements of Carolina and of 
 ^ew iork the high-church party in Virginia, the tlieocracy 
 
 ^111 IVl^issachusetts, and the monarchy throughout America; 
 
 ^ they have given laws to one quarter of the globe, and, dreaded 
 foi their moral influence, they stand in the background of 
 every democratic strurrgle in Europe." 
 
 M55894fJ 
 
 L^C^ 
 
The quotation which we have here introduced, taken from the 
 work of a distinguished European scholar and pohtician, is a 
 just tribute to Roger WiUiams as the founder of a democratic 
 form of government. That the pubhshed writings of one wliose 
 principles are thus exteudmg their influence tlu'oughout the 
 civihzed world, should attract increasing interest and attention, 
 is not sui'prising. They are varied in their character, and fully 
 illustrate the life and opinions of the author ; yet to the gen- 
 eral reader they are inaccessible, and, m consequence, are but 
 little known. Indeed, not even their titles are to be found in 
 our ordinary bibliographical manuals and dictionaries. Lowndes 
 and Watts give, in brief, the title merely of his " Key," the lat- 
 ter devoting to it less than two lines. Rich, in his " Bibliotheca 
 Americana," gives the title in full, but describes no other work. • 
 Ebert and Brunet do not even mention his name. The same is 
 true of Rose, in his "New General Biographical Dictionary," 
 while the great " Biographie Universelle " gives only a brief 
 notice of his life, barely alluding to but three of his productions. 
 No library in the world contains copies of all his works in their 
 original editions. The library of Brown University, which is 
 the largest and best library in the State, contains only five of his 
 Avorks, and for three of these it is indebted to the recent hber- 
 ality of Mr. John Carter Brown. In the private library of this 
 gentleman, are to be found likewise copies of the same, and, of 
 several of them, duplicate copies. 
 
 On account therefore of the great rarity and value of the 
 published writings of Roger Williams, we have ventured to pre- 
 pare the following brief description of them, v\-ith the hope that 
 measures may ere long be taken to have them republished 
 in four or five "liandsome octavo volumes. Accompanied by 
 Knowles' excellent Memoir, now entirely out of print, or the 
 more popular and attractive Life by Prof. Gammell, they would 
 constitute a " monument " to his genius and worth more fitting 
 and enduring than " storied urn," or sculptured marble. 
 
 I. The earliest published work of Mr. Williams, bears the 
 following title : 
 
 " A Key into the Language of America, or an Help to the 
 " Lansuaae of the Natives in that Part of America called New 
 
" England ; together with briefe Observations of the Customes, 
 " Manners and Worships, &c. of the aforesaid Natives, in Peace 
 " and Warre, in Life and Death. On all which are added spir- 
 " ituall Observations, generall and particular, by the Authour, 
 " of chiefe and speciall use (upon all occasions) to all the Eng- 
 " lish inhabiting those Parts ; yet pleasant and profitable to the 
 " View of all Men. By Roger- Williams of Providence in New 
 " England. London, printed by Gregory Dexter. 1643." 
 
 This work was written at sea, on his first voyage to England, 
 in 'the Summer of 16-13, as a help to his own memory, that he 
 might not lightly lose, as he remarks in the prefiice, what he had 
 so dearly bought "in some few yeares hardship and charges 
 among the barbarians." It comprises, two hundred and sixteen 
 small duodecimo pages, including preface and table, and is dedi- 
 cated to his " deare and well-beloved friends and country-men in 
 Old and New England." It is by far the best known of Mr. 
 Williams' works, and is still of the highest authority respecting 
 the subject of which it treats. The greater part of it has been 
 republished in the third and fifth volumes of the first series of 
 the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. It is 
 also contained entire in the first volume of the Collections of the 
 Rhode Island Historical Society. A copy of the oi'iginal edition 
 is in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and in the British Museum ; 
 also in the library of the Massachusetts Historical Society, sup- 
 posed by Prof. Knowles, when his Memoir was published, to be 
 the only one in the country. Copies are likewise to be found in 
 the libraries of Harvard College, Brown University, and the 
 American Antiquarian Society at Worcester. Mr. Brown has 
 also several copies in excellent preservation. 
 
 " This singular, and, as it has been represented, exceedingly 
 " copious and versatile language has been made," says Prof. 
 " Gammell, "the subject of much curious inquiry among the 
 " philologists of our own and of other lands. The people who 
 " SDoke it have lonn; since vanished from the hills and forests 
 " of New England ; but the language itself has survived them 
 " in the pious though humble labors of their benefactors. Spec- 
 " imens of its endless words and its unique structure are still to 
 " be found in the " Key," which Williams wrote, in the " Gram- 
 
" mar" of John Eliot, and especially in the few scattered cop- 
 " ies that remain of the Indian Bible, which the noble-minded 
 " apostle toiled away the best years of his life in translatmg." 
 
 II. The second work which Mr. Williams published is en- 
 titled, " Mr. Cotton's Letter* lately printed, examined and 
 " answered. By Roger Wilhams, of Providence, in New Eng- 
 "land. London. Imprmted in the yeere 1644." It is a small 
 quarto of forty-seven pages, preceded by an address of two 
 pages " To the Impartiall Reader," commencing as follows : 
 
 " This Letter I acknowledge to have received from Mr. Cot- 
 " ton (whom for his personall excellencies I truly honour and 
 " love.) Yet«at such a time of my distressed wanderings amonrrst 
 "the Barbarians, that being destitute of food, of cloths, of time 
 " I reserved it (though hardly, amidst so many barbarous distrac- 
 " tions) and afterward prepax'ed an answer to be returned." 
 
 " In the interim, some friends being much grieved, that one, 
 "publikely acknowledged to be godly and dearely beloved, 
 " should yet be so exposed to the mercy of an howling wilder- 
 "nesse in frost and snow, &c., Mr. Cotton to take off the edg of 
 *' Censure from himself, profest both in speech and writing, that 
 " he was no procurer of my sorrows." 
 
 " Some letters then past between us, in which I proved and 
 " exprest, that if I had perished in that sorrowfull Winter's flight ; 
 " only the blood of Jesus Christ could have washed him from the 
 "guilt of mine." 
 
 " His finall answer was, had you perished, your blood had 
 " beene on your owne head ; it was your sinne to procure it, 
 " and your sorrow to suffer it." 
 
 " Here I confesse I stopt, and ever since supprest mine answer ; 
 " waiting if it might please the father of mercies, more to molifie 
 " and soften, and render more humane and mercifull, the care 
 " and heart of that (otherwise) excellent and worthy man." 
 
 " It cannot now, be justly offensive, that finding this letter 
 " publike (by whose procvirement I know not) I also present to 
 " the same publike view, mj'- formerly intended answer." 
 
 The foregoing extract from the address to the reader conveys 
 a good idea of the nature and character of the work. Tlie opin- 
 ions of the author are marked by great clearness, and his argu- 
 ments are presented with the vigor and earnestness which char- 
 
acterize all his productions. The following is the title of the 
 letter to which it is a reply : 
 
 " A Letter of Mr. John Cottons, Teacher of the Church in 
 *' Boston, in New England, to Mr. Williams, a Preacher there ; 
 *' wherein is shewed, that those ought to be received into the 
 " Church who are godly, though they doe not see, nor expressly 
 *' bewaile all the pollutions in Church-fellowship, Ministry, Wor- 
 *' ship. Government. Imprmiatur, John Bachiler. Printed at 
 *' London for Benjamin Allen, 1643." It consists of thirteen 
 small quarto pages. Li it, the author vindicates the act of the 
 magistrates in banishino; Roffer Williams from Massachusetts, 
 though he denies that he himself had ai;y agency in it. Both 
 the Letter of Cotton and Mr. Williams' Reply are exceeding- 
 ly rare. Good copies of each are in the Library of Brown 
 tlniversity, and in Mr. Brown's private library. A somewhat 
 mutilated copy of the Reply is also in the Library of Yale College. 
 It is doubtful whether there are other copies to be found in the 
 country, at least in any of our public libraries. Two copies of the 
 Reply are in England ; one in the British Museum, and one in 
 the Bodleian Libx'ary, the latter being also mutilated. In 1848 
 it was republished by the Hanserd Knolly's Society, in connec- 
 tion with the " Bloudy Tenent." This volume also, which is a 
 handsome octavo of four hundred and eighty-five pages, is now 
 out of print, and very scarce. 
 
 III. His next publication is entitled, *' The Bloudy Tenent 
 " of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience, discussed, in a Con- 
 *' ference betweene Truth and Peace, who, in all tender Affec- 
 " tion, present to the High Court of Parliament, (as the Result 
 " of their Discourse,) these, (amongst other Passages) of the 
 " highest Consideration. . Printed in the year 1644." It is a 
 small quarto volume, without the name of the writer or the pub- 
 lisher, and comprises two hundred and forty-seven pages of text, 
 besides twenty-four pages of table and introduction. In the 
 Library of Brown University, are two copies of the work, which 
 appear to be different editions although printed during the same 
 year. There is a slight difference in the type and orthography 
 of the title page, and of the headings of some of the chapters. 
 The earlier copy also contains a list of errata at the end, which are 
 corrected in the later edition. In all other respects the two 
 copies are precisely alilie. 
 
This- work owes its origin to a very interesting circumstance. 
 In the fii*st volume of the pubKcations of the Hanserd Knolly's 
 Society, may be found a piece entitled, " An Humble Supplica- 
 " tion to the King's Majesty, as it was presented, 1620." "This," 
 says Mr. Underbill, " was a Baptist production!" It is a well 
 arranged, clear and concise argument against persecution, and 
 for liberty of conscience. It was written by one imprisoned in 
 Newgate for conscience' sake. So rigid was his confinement 
 that paper, pens, and ink were denied him. He had recourse, 
 therefore, to sheets of paper, sent by a fi-iend in London, as 
 stoppers to the bottle containing his daily allowance of milk. 
 He wrote his thoughts in milk, on the paper thus ■ provided, and 
 returned them to his friend in the same Way. It is well known 
 that writing of this kind becomes legible by holding it to tlie 
 fire. * 
 
 From this treatise were taken those arguments against perse- 
 cution, which, being replied to" by Mr. Cotton, gave rise to the 
 work of Mr. Williams, and which he has so significantly called, 
 in reference to Cotton's views as opposed to the mild doctrines of 
 toleration, " The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution Discussed." 
 It was written while he was occupied in obtaining the Charter 
 for Rhode Island. In many parts it bears evident tokens of 
 haste, and occasional obscurities show that he had no time to 
 amend his work. Indeed, he tells us that these discussions were 
 prepared in London, "for publike view, in change of roomes 
 " and corners, yea, sometimes in variety of strange houses, 
 " sometimes in the fields, in the midst of travel ; where he hath 
 " been forced to gather and scatter his loose thoughts and 
 " papers." It is nevertlueless considered to be the best written 
 of all his works. The doctrines of religious freedom are fully 
 set forth, the style is throughout animated, and tlie page is 
 adorned with frequent images of great beauty. It was repub- 
 lished, as has already been stated, in the year 1848, by the 
 Hanserd Knolly's Society, with an introduction of forty-six 
 pages by Edward Bean Underbill. But few copies of the orig- 
 inal edition are known to exist. Two are in England ; one in 
 the British jNIuseum, and one in the Bodleian Library. Six 
 copies are in this country ; two in the Library of Brown Uni- 
 versity ; two in Mr. Brown's library ; one copy in the Library 
 of Harvard College, and one in the library of Colonel Aspiuall, 
 of Boston, former] V American Consul at London. 
 
IV. Mr. William's fourth publication was a rejoinder to a 
 work written by Mr. Cotton in reply to the " Bloudy Tenent," 
 and published in 1647. The following is the title of Cotton's 
 reply : " The Bloudy Tenent, washed, and made white in the 
 " Blond of the Lambe ; being discussed and discharged of Bloud- 
 " Guiltinesse by just Defence. Wherein the great questions of 
 " this present time are handled, viz. How farre Liberty of Con- 
 " science ought to be given to those that truly feare God ? And 
 " how farre restrained to turbulent and pestilent persons, that 
 " not only raze the Foundation of Godlinesse, but disturb the 
 " Civill Peace where they live ? Also how farre the Magistrate 
 "may proceed in the Duties of the first Table? And that all 
 ."Magistrates ought to study the Word and Will of God, that 
 " they may frame their Government according to it. * * * * 
 " Whereunto is added a Reply to Mr. Williams Answer to' Mr, 
 " Cotton's Letter. By John Cotton, Batchelor in Divinity, and 
 " Teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston in New England." 
 The work comprises one hundred and forty-four small quarto 
 pages. It was published in London, and printed by Matthew 
 Symmons for Hannah Allen. 
 
 The following is the title of Mr. Williams' rejoinder to the 
 foregoing, which is sufficiently descriptive of its contents. " The 
 " Bloody Tenent yet more Bloody, by Mr. Cotton's Endevour 
 " to wash it white in the Blood of the Lambe ; of whose pre- 
 " cious Blood spilt in the Blood of his Servants, and of the 
 " Blood of Millions spilt in former and later Wars for Consci- 
 " ence Sake, that most Bloody Tenent of Persecution for Cause 
 " of Conscience, upon a Second Tryal, is found now more ap- 
 " parently and more notoriously guilty. In this Rejoinder to 
 " Mr. Cotton are principally, 
 
 " 1. The Nature of Persecution, ) . , 
 
 " 2. The Power of the Civill Sword In Spirituals, \ e^'in^ined; 
 
 " 3. The Parliaments Permission of Dissenting Consciences 
 "justified. Also (as a Testimony to Mr. Clarks' Narrative) is 
 " added a Letter to Mr. Endicot, Governor of the Massachusets 
 " in N. E. By R. Williams of Providence in New-England. 
 " London, printed for Giles Calvert, and are to be sold at the 
 " Black-Spread-Eagle, at the West-End of Pauls, 1652." It is 
 a small quarto of three hundred and seventy-three pages, inclu-. 
 dincj the introduction and table of contents. This work discus- 
 
"8 
 
 ses the same great questions as the preceding, and maintains the 
 same views, -with additional argimients. " Both," says Prof. 
 Gammell, " are pervaded with a mildness quite unusual in the 
 " controversial Avritings of that day, and are enriched with an 
 " amount of learning that does credit to the varied scholarship 
 " of their author." Tliis second work is even more rare than 
 the first. There are two copies in the Library of Brown Uni- 
 versity, — one of which, the bequest of the Rev. Isaac Backus, 
 is a presentation copy from the author to his friend and fellow 
 laborer in the service of the Colony, Dr. John Clarke, of New- 
 port. It contains, on the fly-leaf, the following inscription in his 
 own hand-writing. " For his honoured & beloved Mr. John 
 " Clarke, an eminent Witnes of Chi'ist Jesus ag*' y^ bloodie Doc- • 
 " trine of Persecution &c." Mr. Brown has likewise a copy in 
 good preservation. In the Libraiy of Harvard College is a thin 
 book which purports to be a copy of this work, but it contains, 
 says Knowles, only the Preface and Dedicatory Epistles. 
 
 V. In the same year in which the last mentioned work was 
 published, j\Ir. Williams printed a pamphlet, entitled, " The 
 " Hireling Ministry None of Christ's, or a Discourse touching 
 " the Propagating the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Humbly pre- 
 " sented to such pious and honorable Hands, whom the present 
 " Debate thereof concerns. By Roger Williams, of Providence, 
 " in New-England. London : printed in the Second Month, 
 " 1652." It is a small quarto, of thirty-six pages of text and 
 eight pages of introductory matter. Only four copies are known 
 to exist in this country, viz. : two copies in the Library of the 
 American Antiquarian Society, at Worcester, one copy in the 
 Library of Brown University, and one in the possession of Mr. 
 Brown. In the Library founded by the Rev. Dr. Williams, of 
 London, is also a copy. 
 
 This pamphlet is extremely valuable, because it contains a 
 clearer exposition of Mr. Williams' views respecting the minis- 
 try, than any other of his woi'ks. It begins with an " Epistle 
 "Dedicatory, to all such honorable and pious hands, whom the 
 "present debate touching the propagating of Christ's Gospel 
 " concerns ; and to all such gentle Bereans, who, with ingenious 
 ." civility, desire to search, what's presented concerning Jesus 
 ^'Christ be so or not." In it the author says of himself, "I 
 
'^ have not been altogether a stranger to the learning of the 
 " I^gypti^i^^i ^^^'^ ^''^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ hopeful lest paths to worldly pre- 
 *' ferment, which, for Christ's sake I have forsaken. I know 
 ■" what it is to study, to preach, to be an elder, to be applauded ; 
 " and yet also what it is to tug at the oar, to dig with the spade 
 " and plow, and to labor and to tmvel day and night amongst 
 " English, amongst barbarians ! Why should I not be humbly 
 " bold to give my witness faithfully, to give ray counsel efFectu- 
 " ally, and to persuade with some truly pious and conscientious 
 " spirits, rather to turn to law, to physick, to soldiery, to educa- 
 " ting of children, to digging (and yet not cease from prophesy- 
 •" ing) rather than to live under the slavery, yea under the 
 "censure (from Christ Jes^isand his saints and others also) of a 
 " mercenary and hireling ministry." 
 
 ■ The purpose of the work appears to be, to oppose a legal 
 establishment of rehgion, and the compulsory support of the 
 clergy. The principal points mahitained are : 1. Neither the 
 " beg-etting ministry" of the Apostles to the nations, nor the 
 "feeding and nourishing ministr}'" of pastors and teachers, ac- 
 cording to the first institutions of the Lord Jesus is now, extant. 
 2. There ought to be a perfect liberty to all men to maintain 
 such worship and ministry as they please. 3. Ministers ought 
 to be supported by voluntary donations, and not by legal pro- 
 
 VI. At the time when the foregoing pamphlet was pub- 
 lished, Mr. Williams also printed the one which is here presented 
 to the [)ublic. For the sake of uniformity we repeat the title, 
 in this connection, as follows : "' Experiments of Spiritual Life 
 " and Health and their Preservatives, in which the Aveakest 
 " Child of God may get Assurance of his Spirituall Life and 
 " Blessednesse, and the strongest may finde proportionable Dis- 
 ^' coveries of his Christian Growth and the Means of it. By 
 " Roger Williams of Providence in New England. London : 
 " Printed in the second month, 1G52." 
 
 It is in the form, as will be seen, of a letter to his wife, Mary, 
 upon her recovery from a dangerous sickness, beginning with, 
 " My dearest love and companion in this vale of tears." It 
 comprises sixty small quarto pages, including the introductory 
 matter. A very limited edition was probably published at the 
 
10 
 
 time, mostly for distribution among the author's friends. Hence 
 the work has become well nigh extinct. Prof. Knowles, in his 
 Memoir of Roger Wilhams, published in 1834, says of it, "No 
 " copy has come to our knowledge." Prof. Gammell, in his 
 Life, published in 1845, says the same. Prof. Elton, in his 
 little Memoir of Williams, pubhshed in 1852, says, " After dili- 
 " gent inquiry, the writer is not aware that more than one copy 
 " of this work now exists." Mr. Elton probably refers to the 
 copy in the possession of Colonel Aspinall, formerly American 
 Consul at London. The copy of which this is a reprint, belongs 
 to the Library Company of Philadelphia, being the gift of 
 Zachariah Poulson, Jun. It is bound into a collection of old 
 pamphlets, and being imperfectly catalogued, has until now eluded 
 the search of biographers and antiquaries. 
 
 VII. The last of Roger Williams' published writings is the 
 account of the Controversy he had with the Quakers. It was 
 printed at Boston, in 1676, and bears the following title : 
 " George Fox digg'd out of his Bvirrowes, or an Offer of Dispu- 
 tation on fourteen Proposalls, made this last Summer, 1672, (so 
 call'd) imto G. Fox, then present on Rode Island, in New Eng- 
 land, by R. W. As also how (G. Fox slily departing) the 
 Disputation went on, being managed three days at Newport on 
 Rhode Island, and one day at Providence, between John Stubbs, 
 John Burnett, and William Edmundson, on the one Part, and 
 R. W. on the other. In which many Quotations out of G. Fox 
 and Ed. Burrowe's Book in Folio are alleadged. With an Ap- 
 pendix, of some Scores of G. F., his simple lame answers to his 
 Opposites in that Book quoted and replyed to. B}^ R. W., of 
 Providence, in N. E. Boston, printed by John Foster, 16T6." 
 
 Like most of his other writings it is in siimll quarto, and com- 
 prises three hundred and twenty-seven pages. Its execution is 
 creditable to the American press at that early day. The only 
 copy of it known to exist is the one contained in the Library of 
 Harvard College. 
 
 Mr. Williams, in writing this book, used a style of contempt- 
 uous bitterness which seems not to have been natural to him. 
 Mr. Fox and Mr. Burnett replied in the same strain, though 
 with more coarseness. Their book is a quarto of four hundred 
 and eighty-nine pages, entitled, " A New England Firebrand 
 Quenched," &c. It would be well, says Prof. Knowles, for the 
 
11 
 
 deputation of all parties, if both of these works could be forgotten. 
 In referring to this controversj, we must avoid confounding the 
 fanatical extravao;ances of some of the adherents of George Fox, 
 at that period, in New England, which were generally regarded 
 as injurious to the morals and order of society, with the princi- 
 ples of the large and influential denomination of Friends, so 
 called, at the present day. * 
 
 We have thus given a brief account of all the printed books 
 of Roger Williams Avhich are known to be extant. Several of his 
 treaties, and among them the essay concerning the patent, which 
 excited the displeasure of the magistrates in Massachusetts before 
 his banishment, were not, it is presumed, published. In a letter 
 to Gov. Bradstreet, of Boston, dated May 6, 1682, he speaks of 
 a collection of heads of discourses preached to the " Scattered 
 English at Narragansett " which he ha4 reduced to writing with 
 a view to publication. Search has been made for these discourses, 
 but thus far they have not been brought to light. 
 
 The Letters of Mr. Williams were numerous, as he held an 
 extensive correspondence with the leading men of his day. Many 
 of these Letters have been published in Knowles and Elton's Me- 
 moirs, Staples' Annals of Providence, and the Collections of the 
 Massachusetts Historical Society. Others are scattered about, 
 in the possession of individuals, or in places of public deposit. 
 A large number have recently been found among the family 
 papers of his friend. Governor Winthrop. These will soon be 
 printed under the auspices of the said Society. It is earnestly 
 hoped that the Life, Works and Correspondence of Roger Wil- 
 liams, edited by a competent person, may ere long be given to 
 the public, constituting a " Monument " worthy of the genius 
 and character of the Founder of Rhode Island, the Founder of 
 the Baptist denomination in America, and the great advocate of 
 Civil and Religious Freedom. 
 
 R. A. GUILD. 
 
 Library of Brown University, Dec. 10th, 1862. 
 
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