A sharp, historical argument about religion, state, and personal conscience.
This early-works collection offers a forceful defense of religious liberty and a critical look at national religious establishments through the voice of a dissenting minister.
This discourse argues that government should not control church life or force religious adherence. It lays out principled canons on personal conviction, church membership, and the proper role of civil authority in matters of faith, while outlining a New Testament model of church order as a practical alternative.
- Explains why a state church can threaten conscience, liberty, and true religious discipline
- Defines clear, plain-canons about personal faith, church membership, and discipline
- contrasts civil authority with spiritual authority in matters of worship
- Presents a concrete model of early Christian church structure for comparison
Ideal for readers of religious history, ecclesiastical policy, and debates on church and state who want a detailed eighteenth–/nineteenth-century perspective.