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to their pristine purity those lost rites which he has enjoined.*

Touching this latter principle, the mind of Mr. Williams seems to have been troubled with doubts, and as he looked at the history of christendom, as far as the outward constitution of the church was concerned, he was struck with the signs of a general apostacy. His eye rested on times when the whole field of his vision was occupied by churches which were strictly national, identified with the civil state, and thence in his view, anti-christian, since Christ himself had said, "my kingdom is not of this world." That view however was connected with a fervent charity towards individuals in all communions as christian men, for he said that even the whole generation of the righteous, had thus fallen away. In the church of Rome he saw that the ordinances of the New Testament had been absolutely lost; in regard to baptism the whole eastern church agreed with him in this opinion;† and when he looked to England, he saw there a persecuting national church, which had, by a mere political accident become separated from Rome, with a monarch as ambitious and as craven as Pontius Pilate for its head, yet pro

* Mr. Smyth's reasoning, 1609, quoted by Ivimey, I, 118. + See Appendix, G.

claimed Defender of the Faith. What homage could a clear sighted honest thinker like Roger Williams, pay to the peculiar authority of such a priesthood? It could challenge no respect from him, any more than the divine commission of Mahomet. And if it were true that the validity of christian ordinances depend on a regular apostolic succession, the only logical alternative then left for him was, that the ordinances must be forever abandoned, or that a new apostleship must be commissioned from Heaven.* His acting on that conclusion, proved the fidelity of his mind to the principles which he embraced, and displayed the moral greatness of his soul. And if we ourselves were convinced that such a principle were true, who of us would not pursue the same course? Far sooner would I wait with longing eyes for a new apostleship to be raised up by an Almighty hand, than believe that a worldly hierarchy like that which threw its dazzling splendors around the altars of the Pope and Henry VIII, could boast itself pre-eminently of a commission which had descended from the skies, and bore the seal of Christ.

It is remarkable, that notwithstanding all the hardships which Mr. Williams endured, he

* See Appendix, H.

should have lived more than half a century after his arrival in this country, and enjoyed a vigorous old age. Vigorous indeed it was, for it would seem that after he had completed threescore years and ten, his physical force had not abated, and his mind glowed with all the ardor of his youth. What an extraordinary object is presented to our attention, when we contemplate him at the age of seventythree, embarking in a small boat, and plying the oar through that day and until the ensuing midnight, in order to reach Newport at the appointed time to engage in a public discussion with George Fox, on those points of theology wherein they differed! Truly in such an instance, we scarcely know at which to wonder most, his bodily strength, his intellectual energy, or that intense religious fervor which animated his bosom. Yet doubtless, more admirable than either of these, was that fine control over all the elements of his character, exerted by his favorite doctrine of religious liberty. However strong might have been his aversion to any class of sentiments, however pungent his invective, he never betrayed one wish to infringe on the freedom of an opponent, or to use any other than moral means in promoting his opinions. The strength of his language only indicates the warm attachment which he felt for his principles, which makes the more

remarkable what his whole life proved to be true, that he would fain yield to every man the same liberty which he claimed for himself, and would have contended as earnestly for the rights of an adversary as for his own.*

When near fourscore, we find that he was engaged in preaching to the Indians, and afterwards, amid great debility, he was employed by his fireside, in writing out those discourses for

* There is reason to think, that to some extent, an unfair estimate of Mr. Williams's personal character has been derived from the warmth of his language in public controversy. In regard to this, much allowance is to be made for the manner of the times. Certain it is, that he possessed in a large measure that magnanimity of mind, that honesty and generosity, which not only command the esteem of men, but gain their hearts. Thence Dr. Bentley says, "in Salem, every body loved Mr. Williams. He had no personal enemies under any pretence; all valued his friendship. Kind treatment could win him, but opposition could not conquer him. He was not afraid to stand alone for truth, against the world." He had always a tenderness of conscience, and feared every offence against moral truth. He breathed the purest devotion. He was a friend of human nature, forgiving, upright, and pious." In connexion with this testimony, it is proper to observe, that in some way, Mr. Williams's biographer has been led into a mistake on one point. He says, "it appears that Mr. Wil liams so disliked Mr. Harris, that he would not write his name at length, but abbreviated it thus, "W. Har."-[Knowles, p. 299, note.] The fact, however, is, that in various manuscripts of Williams's, I have seen the name fully written, and every case of abbreviation is in accordance with his usual style of penmanship.

circulation among them.* He thus filled thirty sheets of manuscript, and then asked aid of his friends in Boston, to enable him to publish them, saying, "he that hath a shilling and a heart to countenance and promote such a soul-work, may trust the great paymaster for an hundred or one in this life." Although he had opportunities of accumulating wealth, yet his sacrifices for the good of the colony were immense, and from the fact just mentioned, it seems that he died in a condition of honorable poverty. We are struck in this case, with a view of the benevolence of his heart and his untiring industry, which indeed can be no better proved than by the fact, that while living in London, as agent of the colony, he earned his own support by teaching languages, contrived when their funds failed, to pay their debts and maintain their credit, and at the same time living in habits of friendly intercourse with Milton, pursued with him a course of mutual instruction in the knowledge of various tongues. Constantly employed in some pursuit of literature, or work of faith, or Jabor of love, he closed his earthly pilgrimage early in 1683, in the eightyfourth year of his age, and was interred in his own family burialground, "with all the solemnity which the col

* Letter to Gov. Bradstreet. 2 His. vol. VIII, p. 196.

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