Note 426 — Chapter XIII

Ward's Life of Henry More, 171. I have here confined myself to those in the Church of England who advocated toleration, pointing out the grounds which they adopted as distinguished from those occupied by the Independents. Others, who proceeded in the same advocacy on the broadest principles of justice, will be hereafter noticed, i.e., John Goodwin, Leonard Busher, and Sir Henry Vane. Of the last of these it may be remarked that so early as 1637 he used this memorable language, in New England: "Scribes and Pharisees, and such as are confirmed in any way of error, all such are not to be denied cohabitation, but are to be pitied and reformed; Ishmael shall dwell in the presence of his brethren." (Bancroft's United States, i. 390.) The most thorough advocate of intellectual liberty in the New World was Roger Williams, who, though in many respects an impracticable man, and wanting in catholicity of spirit, appears to have been an original and intrepid champion for the political independence of theological opinions, as well as a noble minded and disinterested leader in colonial enterprise. Milton advocates toleration in his Areopagitica, a speech to the Parliament of England for the liberty of unlicensed printing, 1644. Harrington's Political Aphorisms, in which liberty of conscience is justly placed on a political basis, was not published until 1659. Episcopius and Crellius were early advocates for toleration. See Hallam's Introduction to Literature of Europe, iii. 103, 104.