Roger Williams Letter To The Town Of Providence Analysis

In Roger Williams, “Letter to the Town of Providence”, he wrote of a more progressive approach on liberty. Surrounded by contention on religious and political matters, Williams began a narrative on his own beliefs that frowned upon the intolerance of religion and the occupancy of Indian land. In addressing the matter, he uses a ship at sea as a metaphor representing the society in Providence, and symbolism to represent the community of religious diversity coming together. Although a puritan—wanting to see the church stray away from Catholic traditions— Williams attitude towards the church and the state was that it should be kept separate, to not allow the corruption of the state to seep into the church. In doing so, authority would be maintained …show more content…
“…whose weal and woe is common…”, the fortune and misfortune of the inhabitants of the colony is the same regardless of the religion they practice. If Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims were to preach about in town and did not affect the general peace they should not be forced to come off the ship—banished out of the colony. Also, the preachers of these beliefs should not be appointed, due to their faith, as officers or those in power. Williams did not neglect that there should be an unbounded autonomy of conscience, allowing for a voluntary desire to practice the same principles as the Puritans, rather than be forced out of fear; religion should be chosen …show more content…
However, he believes in measuring freedom as a basis for civility. The same way he believed that one cannot just go and take land for it would infringe on the rights of the Indians, there still needs to be a placement of limits on liberty; to protect from the inherent unruliness in man. Restoration of the pure church would be accomplished if it were placed in the right of man to desire and select, meanwhile, contributing to the civil government, for if mutual respect were not revered the legitimacy of authority in democracy would fail to function. The commonwealth of the people is to be protected and therefore “the commander or commanders may judge, resist, compel and punish such transgressors…” Liberty is like a fire that is free to roam, consuming the path that was so carefully placed, if not contained or limited we would be allowing the demolition of authority and the introduction of