Religious zeal, without a clear knowledge of God’s character, has proved to be a snare in much of the history of Protestantism. Those who struggled for freedom of conscience, when the power was in their hands, were unwilling to give the same freedom to others. Yet they thought they were serving God and establishing His kingdom.
The history that makes up this short book, was originally Chapter 23 in the much larger volume, “The Two Republics”. I’ve prepared it separately because it provides a concise history of the struggle for freedom of conscience, first in Europe, and then later during the founding days of America. The text has been reformatted for clarity, and I’ve added more pictures.
Although not always pleasant, there is a need to dwell on this history, lest we forget that the religious liberty so hard fought for, may be easily and carelessly thrown away in the future, by those who forget the lessons of the past. 124p
John 16
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time will come, that whosoever kills you will think that he does God service.
Contents
- The Reformation Begins
- The Principles of Protestantism
- Progress of the Reformation in Europe
- Puritanism and the New England Theocracy
- The Sufferings of the Baptists
- The Sufferings of the Quakers
- More Religious Laws in New England
- Summary
