Like generations of New England Congregationalists before him, Dr. William Stoddard Williams (1762-1829) of Deerfield, Massachusetts, professed his faith upon joining the Church. His belief that everyone with faith in God would receive “everlasting salvation” set him apart from the unrelenting Calvinism of his Puritan forbears, however. Williams’ liberal profession of faith reflects a larger theological shift among many New England churches and their congregations. Their more inclusive Christian vision rejected the earlier belief that God’s grace and salvation extended to a limited few and that people could do nothing to assure their salvation.
Williams, M.D., William Stoddard. Articles of Faith of William Stoddard Williams. 1822. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l99-030/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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