Thanks for pointing out Mary Dyer and her fight with the colonial civil authorities. Hers is an interesting well publicized story that I will research, contemplate and pray about. Clearly her execution was a mistake and certainly her Puritan neighbors failed in many ways to love their enemy.
I think she was wrong, perverse, obstinate and victorious. It does not yet change my opinion about the much maligned Puritans in general.
I think the Quakers and the successful and determined promulgation of their heresies are responsible for a lot of liberalism today.
Matthew 5:43-48
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. ...
Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Mary Dyer was my ancestor. The tales brought down through the ages were of how she originally was a puritan, they basically forced her out and after she went back to England to meet with people there, she converted to quakerism. She was taken back by the virtual hate and ruthlessness of the puritans back there and wanted nothing to do with them. It was said she met with Cromwell and her mind was changed after that meeting.