Roger Williams
The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience Discussed and Mr. Cotton's Letter Examined and Answered
"The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience Discussed and Mr.…" by Roger Williams is a philosophical treatise written in 1644. Structured as a dialogue between Truth and Peace, this controversial work challenges the Massachusetts Bay Colony's religious enforcement, advocating for a "wall of separation" between church and state. Williams argues for liberty of conscience as a God-given right and tolerance of diverse faiths. So inflammatory were his ideas that Parliament ordered copies burned, yet his arguments would later influence Locke, Jefferson, and the First Amendment itself.