Putney Debates Of 1647: The Army, the Levellers and the English State Book

The edition I am reading is not the above. It was one that created using "optical recognition software" which is supposedly 99% accurate. I think they overestimate its accuracy.

With the errors and the fact that it is written in mid 17th century English and the fact that Roger Williams does not have a fluid prose style, this was basically unreadable.

Fortunately by buying the book I was able to download a clean version of this book. and that one is much more interesting. I have already mentioned Williams prose style, but the content is fascinating.

Roger Williams was the man who brought the Baptist Church to America, founded Rhode Island, treated the Indians fairly by negotiating and paying them a fair price for land, was the first in America to push for abolition, and also the first anywhere to create a secular government.

This book was one long argument for the necessity of keeping the state and the church totally and absolutely separate. In fact his phrase was "Wall of separation" in describing the proper relationship between the two. He also argued against using the word toleration since that implies one religion occupies a greater position than another and thus tolerates that religion. To his mind, quite properly so I think, all religions are to be treated equally by the state with all of its citizens having the same rights, regardless of whether they are Muslims, Jews, or anti-Christians.

What is really fun about this though is that he bases his arguments on the Bible. I can only wish that more of today's Baptists still remembered Roger Williams and his arguments.

A note: I have just changed the rating from two stars to four. Th initial rating was based more on the lousy and error ridden edition I first tried to read. However reading a clear copy made what Rev Willaims was saying mucch clearer - and what he said and did was important, and the fact that he was a Baptist only gives these arguments more force.