forbear calling him to office, which they not
hearkening to, was a cause of much disturbance; for Mr. Williams had
begun, and then being in office, he proceeded more vigorously to vent
many dangerous opinions, as amongst many others these were some; That
it is not lawful for an unregenerate man to pray, nor to take an Oath,
and in special, not the Oath of Fidelity to the Civil Government; nor
was it lawful for a godly man to have communion either in Family
Prayer, or in an Oath with such as they judged unregenerate: and
therefore he himself refused the Oath of Fidelity, and taught others
so to do; also, That it was not lawful so much as to hear the godly
Ministers of England, when any occasionally went thither; & therefore
he admonished any Church-members that had done so, as for hainous sin:
also he spake dangerous words against the Patent, which was the
foundation of the Government of the Massachusets Colony: also he
affirmed, That the Magistrates had nothing to do in matters of the
first Table [of the commandments], but only the second; and that there
should be a general and unlimited Toleration of all Religions, and for
any man to be punished for any matters of his Conscience, was
persecution....

He persisted, and grew more violent in his way, insomuch as he staying
at home in his own house, sent a Letter, which was delivered and read
in the publick Church assembly, the scope of which was to give them
notice, That if the Church of Salem would not separate not only from
the Churches of Old-England, but the Churches of New-England too, he
would separate from them: the more prudent and sober part of the
Church being amazed at his way, could not yield unto him: whereupon he
never came to the Church Assembly more, professing separation from
them as Antichristian, and not only so, but he withdrew all private
religious Communion from any that would hold Communion with the Church
there, insomuch as he would not pray nor give thanks at meals with his
own wife nor any of his family, because they went to the Church
Assemblies ... which the prudent Magistrates understanding, and seeing
things grow more and more towards a general division and disturbance,
after all other means used in vain, they passed a sentence of
Banishment against him out of the Massachusets Colony, as against a
disturber of the peace, both of the Church and Commonwealth.

After which Mr. Williams sat down in a place called Providence, out of
the Massachu