American Quotations by William J. Federer 2024

Roger Williams (c.1603-March 1683) was a British-born clergyman who founded the Providence Plantation in Rhode Island. A graduate from Pembroke, 1624, he was ordained in the Church of England, 1628. An enthusiastic Puritan minister, his sermons in favor of religious liberty caused him to be persecuted. In 1630, he fled to the Massachusetts Bay Colony where he pastored in Plymouth, 1632-33, and in Salem, 1634. There his criticism of the state church led to a sentenced of being sent back to England, 1635. He escaped and lived among the Indians, befriending them and learning their language. In 1636, he founded the...

Samuel Rutherford (c.1600-March 1661) was Rector of St. Andrew's Church in Scotland and one of the commissioners at Westminster Assembly in London, 1643-47. In 1644, he wrote the controversial book, Lex, Rex or, The Law and the Prince, which challenged the "divine right of kings." Instead of the king being God's appointed regent whose word is law, Rutherford stated that all men, even the king, were under the law and not above it. He reasoned that even though rulers derived their authority from God, Romans 13:1-4, they received their authority through the people. Samuel Rutherford cited the following biblical passages...

Oliver Cromwell (April 25, 1599-September 3, 1658) was the Lord-Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1653-58. He was offered the title of King of England by the Parliament, but declined. A strong supporter of religious freedom, he had at one time considered emigrating to the Puritan Colony in America. A minor landowner, he rose to leadership in Parliament during the early days of the English Civil War. He formed and was commander of the "Ironsides" cavalry regiment, renown as the most powerful and best drilled regiment in England. Largely responsible for the victory at Marston Moor,...

Edward Johnson (September 1598-April 23, 1672) the founder of Woburn, Massachusetts, was a contemporary of Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop. He became a trader, author, historian, and in 1654, witnessed the founding of the Puritan Church in the New World. Edward Johnson reported this event in his history titled Wonder-Working Providences of Sion's Saviour in New England: <Although the number of faithful people of Christ were but few, yet their longing desire to gather into a church was very great.... Having fasted and prayed with humble acknowledgment of their own unworthiness to be called of Christ to so worthy a work, they...

Edward Winslow (October 18, 1595-May 8, 1655) joined the Separatists, a persecuted group of Christian refugees, in Leyden, Holland. Edward Winslow helped their pastor, William Brewster, print illegal religious pamphlets which were smuggled back into England. After many hard years, at age 25, Edward Winslow departed with 102 Pilgrims to the New World, where he helped found the Plymouth Colony and was selected as an administrator of the colony in 1621. In 1622, Winslow cured Indian chief Massasoit of an illness, resulting in a 50 year peace. Winslow served as the Plymouth Colony's English agent from 1629 to 1632, keeping...