Roger Williams’ Letter to the Town of Providence is most often seen as a plea for freedom of conscience, and it certainly does make a powerful statement in that regard. Notice, however, that along with a strong regard for the rights of individual freedoms, Williams offers some guidelines regarding an individual’s responsibilities to the community, as well. The metaphor Williams uses is one which sailors would all understand. We’ll see if we can fathom it out as well.
In our own day, within our nation and among the other nations we see many controversies which are religious in nature, and these controversies have political repercussions. (Think, for example about the current political campaign’s issues regarding abortion, or the present of what many call islamophobia in our society.
1.To what extent should a government enforce religious conformity? This is the question Locke raises in this essay. Is it legitimate to use the force of government to make people conform: either positive force (rewards) or negative force (punishments)? Why, or why not?
2.Locke defines civil authority this way: “The commonwealth seems to me to be a society of men constituted only for the procuring, preserving, and advancing their own civil interests,” which he goes on to define as “life, liberty, health, and indolency of body; and the possession of outward things, such as money, lands, houses, furniture, and the like.” Does this leave society any role in repressing ideas?
3.Taking the argument one step further, does any private individual have the right to deprive a person of his/her civil interest because of that person’s religion?
4.And finally, does Locke’s argument extend to everyone? Or are there some classes of individuals whose religion is such that it is appropriate to discriminate against them. Is Locke correct about this? What do you think?
God requireth not an uniformity of Religion to be inacted and inforced in any civill state...true civility and Christianity may both flourish in a state or Kingdome, notwithstanding the permission of divers and contrary consciences, either of Jew or Gentile.
Roger Williams
Learn a Little More. . . .
No reliable likeness of Roger Williams has been found. His exact birth and death dates are also not known. What we see is an idealized vision based upon the artist's attitude toward the subject. Click on the statue of Roger Williams to the left and find out about his importance in the history of religious freedom and freedom of conscience in this country.
Locke's concerns weren't just academic. England had undergone generations of civil strife with religious undertones. A woodcut from Foxe's Book of Martyrs, an early account of the religious persecution is presented above. Click on the image to locate other similar illustrations.
Once we establish that there are certain roles for Government, whether these are active or passive, positive, or negative, then the question remains where the rights of the individual and the rights of government intersect. What can the government legitimately require of its citizens, and when is it appropriate to coerce them?
Here is what I want you to think about as you mark up
Against Toleration
The toughest thing about this short document will be the "Old English" spelling. It could be worse: the version could have used the old fashioned typography as well. To see what that looks like, click here. (If you do look, you can also see what Ward thought about women's fashions and also about the Irish.) I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just three things to ponder:
First, look at the distinction Ward makes between persecution and prosecution. Does he favor one over the other, and if so, why?
Second, Ward writes, "THAT State is wise, that will improve all pains and patience rather to compose, than tolerate differences in religion." What does he mean by this? Note elsewhere that he argues that the Civil State has a duty to exercise control in religious matters--we'll see how the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution treats this idea of Ward.
Third, as we've thought about before--do we see this argument popping up again in this year's election cycle? If so, how. Perhaps you can find a link to something in the news currently, and add that in a note on your marked up paper.
This should look familiar, as it was on schedule for the 28th.
Ironically, Reverend Nathaniel Ward, who as "The Simple Cobbler" was himself persecuted and forced to flee his native England for a number of years before he returned there to die. Agawam has changed since Ward's day, and not just in spelling. Click on the map to see what is there now. Some of you may have visited it.
