From WND-
After King Henry VIII broke from Rome in
1534, England began enforcing Anglican religious uniformity. Some wanted
to purify the Anglican Church from the inside, being given the name
“Puritans.” Others separated themselves completely from the Anglican
Church as dissenters. Of those were Thomas Helwys, John Murton and John
Smyth, who founded the Baptist faith in England.
Thomas Helwys wrote “A Short
Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity,” 1612, considered the first
English book defending the principle of religious liberty: “Queen Mary …
had no power over her subjects consciences … neither hath our Lord the
King … power over his subjects consciences. … The King is a mortal man,
and not God, therefore he hath no power over the mortal soul of his
subjects to make laws and ordinances for them and to set spiritual Lords
over them. …”
He continued: “If the King’s people be obedient and true subjects, obeying all humane laws made by the King, our Lord the King can require no more: for men’s religion to God is betwixt God and themselves; the King shall not answer for it, neither may the King be judge between God and man.”
Thomas Helwys was arrested and thrown into London’s notorious Newgate Prison, where he died in 1616.
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He continued: “If the King’s people be obedient and true subjects, obeying all humane laws made by the King, our Lord the King can require no more: for men’s religion to God is betwixt God and themselves; the King shall not answer for it, neither may the King be judge between God and man.”
Thomas Helwys was arrested and thrown into London’s notorious Newgate Prison, where he died in 1616.
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