Did I mention I LOVE history? Soul liberty is in my blood! I was doing some hobby genealogy, not even closely related to anything Mary Dyer-ish, when I found details about a paternal ancestor 9 generations back, Rev. Nathaniel Jenkins. He was born in Cardiganshire, Wales, in 1678, moved to New Jersey in 1710, and was a Baptist minister in Cape May, NJ. He was a member of the Council (equivalent to state legislature in colonial days), when a bill was: *** introduced into the Council in 1721, to punish such as denied the doctrine of the Trinity, the Divinity of Christ and the Inspiration of the Scriptures, he stood boldly forth on the platform of soul liberty, declaring that although he believed these doctrines as firmly as the warmest advocate of the bill, yet he would never consent to oppose those who rejected them with law or with any other weapon than argument.*** The bill was quashed! The testimony of Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, John Clarke, and Mary Barrett Dyer still had clout in 1721! And of course, it was strong right down to the Revolution and the composition of the US Constitution. Separation of church and state won. Similar assaults on our liberties are made in state legislatures across America, even today. At some point after 1713, a number of Baptists became Sabbatarians, and Rev. Jenkins was called to pastor the Seventh-day Baptist church in Shiloh, NJ in 1730. He died in 1764. Generations in my line after Jenkins remained SDB, right down to about 1900. But thats an aside, all my Sabbatarian friends. Jenkins was a pioneer for religious liberty for ALL, whether or not they agreed in beliefs. Today I stand a bit taller! Americans United for Separation of Church and State -- check it out.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 23:37:51 +0000
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