Inspiring Personality Of Roger Williams

There are so many topics to write a Baptist History paper. I decided on Roger Williams because I have been remiss in knowing more than a passing knowledge of him. The first time that I heard of him was when I attended Gordon College. I heard his name because our school soccer team was playing Roger Williams. I thought if this guy has a college named after him that he was important and that I should know who he was. What a sad statement that I intent to rectify. As with all of our Baptist roots Roger Williams was born in England. He was born in 1603 in London to James and Alice Williams. Because of where he lived, growing up it seems that he had been aware of the many burning at the stake of people who were Puritans or those considered to be heretics. I would think that this had a great impact on him and would influence his strong opinions of religious liberties. In school he excelled in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. This lead to him being able to attain a scholarship to Pembroke College at Cambridge University. Quick side note, Pembroke College in Providence is named for him and this school he attended. Following university, he became Ordained in the Church of England and a Chaplain to a prestigious, wealthy family. In 1629 he married Mary Barnard. Like many of us from a Baptist tradition he started questioning ideas that were held dear by the Church of England and became outspoken about the ideas of freedom of worship and the separation of Church and State. They are beliefs that are still a very important part of our faith. It seems those radical ideas were not taken too kindly. Like many others of the time he decided it was best to get out of town and head to the New World and did so in 1630. Sailing aboard the ship Lyon with Mary, he arrived in Massachusetts in 1631. He probably imagined that he would be arriving to a new world where his ideas would be accepted and embraced but he was wrong.

The Puritans having been there for ten years before his arrival had already set up an extremely rigid system. He settled north of Boston in the town of Salem since there was a group of Separatists there. He was called to serve in the church in Boston (a great honor) but refused and instead went to Plymouth where he felt free from all of the compromises that the Puritans (in his opinion) had made. I think I would have liked him for he was known as a very kind and gentle man. I never knew about his belief and dealings with Native Americans and since I am part Native American, I appreciate knowing of someone from early on in history who treated the natives with fairness and respect. According to the book, “God, War and Providence” by James A Warren, “Williams also rejected the English legal doctrine justifying the occupation of Indian lands, vacuum domicilium. ” Furthermore, Warren goes on to say that Williams “rejected outright the conventional Puritan view that the Indians were wild, ungovernable savages”. Williams continued to preach ideas that were contrary to the authorities in England. He preached that the government should not be administering oaths of fidelity to God. This seed of separating church and state was one that England could not abide. Williams saw baptism as an oath that should be taken only once someone became a part of the Christian church and had a spiritual rebirth. I believe that because he was seen as a troublemaker. Mass Bay Colony was still young and fragile at this time and the leaders had enough. Roger Williams it seems could not live and let live, keep his mouth shut and obey.

In October 1635 he was ordered to leave out of their jurisdiction. The court ordered John Endicott to literally track him down and put him physically on a ship for England to never return. In all likelihood if he did indeed get on that ship it would have meant his death upon returning to England. Williams was going to be deported back to England so once again he left and he fled to Narragansett Bay. This banishment impacted him for his whole life. He said “His expulsion from Massachusetts Bay took on a symbolic importance, for it signified in a dramatic way both the sufferings he had undergone as a witness of Christ and the evils of persecution that the Bay authorities had committed in the name of God” (Roger Williams, The Correspondence of Roger Williams). Thankfully he had made friends of the Narragansett Chiefs, Canonicus and Miantonomi. Unfortunately, he left Massachusetts during a brutal New England winter. It was a hard trek out of Mass Bay to Narragansett. It took fourteen weeks to get to his destination. I find it hard to wrap my brain around the fact that it took that long. It really was a miracle that he and his small party did get to their destination. When he did arrive safely there he was welcomed. Among the party was William Arnold who was a forefather of Benedict Arnold. I did not know that. History is amazing! Because Williams understood how amazing it was that they arrived safely, he named the settlement Providence since Providence was watching over them. Was Williams any different than those in China or other countries today?As I write this churches in China are being burned to the ground and dissenters (which Williams was) martyred for their faith. Just this week a Mega Church in China was demolished.

There are growing tensions between the Christian population and the atheist Communist Party in China. All Williams wanted was religious freedom. A freedom that we as American Baptists can take for granted. Williams wanted a faith where the government did not interfere. He wanted to be free to worship God without persecution. Is that not reasonable?I find it remarkable that I did not know the extent of the life Roger Williams had and his peaceful accord with the Indians. I had to stop and rethink the steps I walked in class on Saturday. The hill that I walked, the river I drove over and the church I sat in. In my mind’s eye now, I see it all differently. It seems more sacred and amazing that I literally was walking on the grounds of the place where my faith and beliefs were formed thanks to Roger Williams. I can see how God provided for him and blessed him for the things he did and the way that he treated people. He literally was Christ in how he interacted and treated the Indian people. I love that these Native Americans actually deeded property to Roger Williams who in turn shared it with the first families who settled in Providence. This was a sign of true friendship and acceptance. As time went on Williams became firmer on his stand of a Believer’s Baptism. This led to him having Ezekiel Holliman baptize him. Williams in turn baptized Holliman along with ten others and this became the start of the FIRST Baptist Church in America. The actual place where I stood just a week ago. History coming alive for me!So Williams became a Baptist but only for a short time. I think that he was such a contemplative and avid defender of rights that he could not just sit still and be done. It seems to me that he wandered and wondered a lot. Along with John Winthrop he purchased Prudence Island to raise cattle, goats, trade and to think.

When you have a wife and six kids you need to make a living to support your family. Roger Williams continued to have a great impact in America by helping to establish a secular government ensuring the separation of Church and State. This would become the blueprint that many other towns used in incorporating. He sought and obtained a Parliamentary charter for the colony of Rhode Island in 1644. Williams really was a radical in what he was doing. He claimed that the Church and State were separate and made sure it happened. This was where being a part of a church became a voluntary association which is still a strong distinctive of the Baptist faith. No longer was anyone forced to pledge loyalty to “the Church”. No longer was any government magistrate in charge of ruling the church. Williams states that, “The magistrates’ authority was temporal, not spiritual, jus as the authority of the church was spiritual and not temporal”. It seemed that Williams thought there was no “Chosen People”. He strongly stated that anyone who forced religion on a person were not Christian. Williams started writing. He wanted to share his thoughts and wanted to give a voice to people who were considered radical for their faith. It is amazing to me how he built such a wonderful relationship with the Indians in the land. As part of his Christian faith he loved those people and they loved him back. I must admit that I had not heard of the book “A Key Into the Language of America” before our class. I am really intrigued by it and it speaks in great ways to the character of Roger Williams. Whether he knew it or not he was a missionary for God. The book was published in 1643 in England. He wrote the book on the trip over to England. He wanted to change the perspective that people had of the “savages” in America. The first step in friendship is kindness and understanding. By taking time to learn their language and ways Williams was showing how valuable a people the Indians were in God’s eyes. His hope was to bring the Good News of Christ to these Indians so that they too would be part of the Kingdom of Heaven. I am enjoying reading this book and especially his observations. For example, how the Indians could not believe that the land he came from was 3,000 miles from where they were. I am sure that was unbelievable.

Williams shares some of his feelings toward these wonderful people and how they helped him for several years. It is obvious that he cares deeply for this project and these people in order that there may be a greater understanding between the people. I am learning so much from this book!I know now about “Tree Eaters” and how they sometimes ate men. But even in this Williams prays for their souls. This is a good lesson for us and a reminder to always pray for those not like us. Williams covers so many topics in this book that he had to of spent months and years gathering all of this information. I read about how they call each other to war how they use their tongues instead of trumpets and drums. He was trying to preach to people by example and in word. The Lord called him to do this work to great benefit. It is evident in all that he wrote that being a Christian was everything to him. This work seems to lay the foundation for others who want to be missionaries. The book shows how immersed he was with the indigenous people. Williams has a genuine desire to not only get to know them but to have others see them like he does. A true missionary doesn’t want to go in and destroy the culture but rather learn about it. He had a thriving relationship with these Indians. I wish that others in the New World would have treated them the way he did. I wish America today would treat the Native Americans better. Williams found out something in his time with the Indians, that they were a group of people without our Christian faith but were a peaceable, humane and well organized people. Of course, this too is also a biblical principal. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Since Williams treated the Indians with great respect and friendship, they treated him the same way.

Why can’t we understand that? Why can’t we be civil and respectful to others today who are different?As a Christian I hope that I am more like Williams example for us and not as others in the New World treated Indians. In 1644 he wrote “Blovdy Tenent”. First, I want to express how tough it is to read this how he wrote it. I found it hard to understand sometimes what exactly he was saying. I am thankful for others who spoke extensively on his writing. Second, I wonder what he was thinking when is large capital letters he writes “BLOVDY TENENT” and underneath in small print he writes “In all tender Affection to the High Court of Parliament”. I believe that he was trying to speak his truth while maintaining his connections in English Parliament. That would be a tough line to straddle. Maybe similar to what Martin Luther did with his 99 Theses. I am interested in that he tries to get them to sympathize with his cause. For them to “ease the subjects and yourselves from the yoke which neither you nor your fathers could bear”. I cannot imagine that this went over well with Parliament. The Church of England probably wished they could wring his neck. In this book Williams seems to have two goals for truth and peace. He seems to fervently yet in a messy way try to make his points. He ultimately wants the world to see what he sees which is that a Christian faith is by choice and not through intimidation and that a Believer’s Baptism is what is required and demonstrated by Jesus’ example. He wants Church to be ruled by the local Church and not the political leaders either in America nor in England. I imagine he thinks this is all simply and easy and why can’t we all just get along. It seems an easy enough request but in truth with the church and state so entwined and no one wanting to give up power, it was an impossible situation. I do love how he ends the book with an exclamation mark of “That the Doctrine of Persecution for cause of Conscience, is most evidently and lamentably contrary to the doctrine of Christ the Prince of Peace”. BOOM! I know that he was trying to be a mediator between the Old World Order and the New World Order but it was probably seen as a threat. What a beautiful world it would be if the Doctrines of Persecutions that Christians still go through would end. Today, Religious toleration is still a hot button topic in many places in this world much to my chagrin. Sadly, I do not see that happening until the New Heaven and New Earth arrive.

Thankfully this was the start of religious toleration here in America. We are a hard-headed people and the first people from England to the New World refused to see the Indians as Williams did. They did not treat them with dignity and autonomy. The Indians tried to avert this crisis by having Williams meet with the chiefs of the Narragansetts to talk about the crisis at hand. There was a deterioration in the relations between these people and especially in Plymouth. As tensions rose, tempers flared. King Philip (Metacom), a great sachem of the Wampanoags, was on the verge of war. Supposedly some of his men murdered a Christian Indian by the name of John Sassamon. The government ignored King Philip’s claim that since this only involved Indians and took place on Indians soil that they were the ones to handle the situation and not the English. King Philip did not like the English missionaries speaking to his people. It undermined his authority and power among his people. But the English interfered. In retaliation for the murder of Sassamon, the Plymouth government executed three of Philip’s men. King Philip came to realize that unless there was a radical shift in power between the English and the Indians that his power would end. Ultimately this led to the King Philip’s War. Williams continued to try unsuccessfully to barter for peace. He wrote to John Winthrop, “Lies are frequent. Private interests, both with the Indians and English are many; yet these things you may and must do.

First, kiss the truth where you evidently, upon your soul, see it.

2. Advance justice, through a child’s eyes.

3. See and make peace, if possible with all men.

4. Secure your own life from a revengeful, malicious arrow or hatchet. ” (CRW)I was sad to read that after the bloody war that Williams was a part of a committee created in Providence that arranged for Indians taken to be sold as indentured servants. Williams wanted this to be a limited contract rather than slavery. Sadly, this did not happen and slavery became an accepted practice in Rhode Island. In the years to come as a result of this battle detribalization and the loss of their lands occurred and it was never the same. In his later years Williams remained active in the community of Providence. He died early in 1683 but little is known about his cause of death or the exact date. They did honor him when he passed away. There was a parade, guns were fired over his grave located on the hill behind his house on Towne Street. I really need to go back to Providence and spend a day looking around at all of these places that we did not see. It would be great to spend a weekend there to take time and really appreciate all that Roger Williams did for religious freedom in America. Williams knew it was a mistake to force our autonomy and our idea of truth upon the Indians. They were proud and honorable. In later years we would fight for our right to autonomy from England. How horribly tragic that we could not see that for the Indians. Even though Roger Williams did not stay long in the First Baptist Church of America he was the spark that started our faith here. He always searched for more understanding of his faith and what God wanted of him. He understood how important the separation of Church and State was. I know that my faith is voluntary and I chose to follow Christ. I have Roger Williams to thank for that. How much more meaningful is my faith that I chose it and was not coerced into a religious faith by the Government. He gave us the roots and the path to continue to strive for those great ideas of political liberty too. Separation of Church and State is a founding principal in America.

The state of American today is sad. There is such vitriol and anger and split. I only see people coming together in a time of tragedy like a hurricane or the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Then people come out from everywhere and work together for the common good. This is when we shine bright as a people. No one is looking at our skin color, our political or religious beliefs. I pray continually that the Lord will reign supreme and that we can work together and remember why Roger Williams went to Providence in the first place. I never remember hearing about Roger Williams in a civics class at school but I wish his story would come back to teach the next generations. His lessons on acceptance, kindness, and liberty would resonate to many on both sides of the aisle. Until that time, we pray Come Lord Jesus, Come.