The government of the colony of Massachusetts presented, for over half a
century, the most perfect union of church and state ever witnessed in
America. The secular arm was ever ready to support the religious, and to
compel every resident of the colony to walk in the strait and narrow way
of Puritanism. This was a task easy enough at first, but growing more
and more difficult as the character of the settlers became more diverse,
until, finally, it had to be abandoned altogether.

One of the first and most formidable of all those who dared array
themselves against this bulwark of Puritanism was Roger Williams. He was
the son of a merchant tailor of London, had developed into a precocious
boy, had shown a leaning toward Puritan doctrines, and had ended by
out-Puritaning the Puritans. This was principally apparent in an
intolerance of compromise which led him to remarkable extremes. He
refused to conform to the use of the common prayer, and so cut himself
off from all chance of preferment; he renounced a property of some
thousands of pounds rather than take the oath required by law; and at
last was forced to flee the country, reaching Massachusetts in 1631.

He was, of course, soon at war with the constituted authorities over
questions of doctrine, and at last it was decided to get rid of him by
sending him back to England. He was at Salem at the time, and hearing
that a warrant had been despatched from Boston for him, he promptly took
to the woods, and, making his way with a few followers to Narragansett
Bay, broke ground for a settlement which he named Providence. It was the
beginning of the first state in the world which took no cognizance
whatever of religious belief, so long as it did not interfere with civil
peace. He was soon joined by more adherents, and a few years later, he
obtained from the king a charter for the colony of Rhode Island.