Baptists, historically

I just ran into this quotation in the footnote of Bob and Lael*'s law review article and found it interesting.

Of the Baptist, at least, it may be truly said that they entered the conflict in the New World with a clear and consistent record on the subject of soul liberty. "Freedom of conscience" had ever been one of their fundamental tenets. John Locke, in his “Essay on Toleration,” says: “The Baptist were the first and only propounders of absolute liberty, just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty.” And the great American historian, Bancroft, says: “Freedom of conscience, unlimited freedom of mind, was from the first a trophy of the Baptist.”

CHARLES FENTON JAMES, DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN VIRGINIA (n.p. 1899) at 14.

*Bob and Lael were two of the students in my Legal Writing III class last semester. Sadly, I don't think I can claim any credit for their publishing a law review article. But I'm awfully happy about it.