Information Related to "Governor Samuel Ward and His Confession of Faith"
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One man's devotion to his country and his faith.
by Jim Franks
hile searching through records of early Rhode Island Sabbatarians,
I came across a document that piqued my interest. It was dated
August 6, 1769, and it was signed in an unusual manner-"Sam:
Ward." It was addressed to the "Sabbatarian Church of
Christ in Westerly & Hopkinton." The volume that contains
this document refers to it as a "confession of faith."
I decided to read further in this book, which bore the title Sam:
Ward, Founding Father.
For the Sabbatarians, this period of their history was remarkable. The Revolutionary War was on the horizon, but the church was reaching its zenith in attendance and influence. Who was this Sam Ward? What was this confession of faith all about? Samuel Ward's story provides us with an important insight into the lives and doctrines of the Rhode Island Sabbatarians.
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Samuel Ward was born in Newport, Rhode Island, May 27, 1725. He was the second son of Governor Richard Ward and a descendant of Roger Williams. Richard Ward and his wife, Mary, were both members of the Sabbatarian Church in Rhode Island.
On their grave a large flat stone honors them. Carved into the stone is a testimony of their lives stating that both were members of the Sabbatarian Church. To have included this on their grave is proof that their religious beliefs were a major part of their lives. These were the parents who gave Sam his start in life.
Samuel Ward rose to prominence in this tiny New England colony in the middle of the 18th century. He served in virtually every major office of the colony, being elected governor in May 1762. In 1765 he was reelected governor and, upon the passage of the infamous Stamp Act (a tax levied on the colonies by the British Parliament), he immediately made his opposition known. The governors of all the colonies except one took an oath to sustain and enforce this law. The one abstention was Governor Samuel Ward, who alone among his peers stood in opposition to the king of England. He refused to swear allegiance to the king or to enforce the Stamp Act.
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