--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wee do freely profess that our Lord the…" description: "\"Wee do freely profess that our Lord the King hath no more power over their Roman Catholics' coonsciences than over ours, and that is none at all ... le..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/thomas-helwys-88850_atheism_wee-do-freely-profess-that-our-lord-the_514704.jpg" --- # Wee do freely profess that our Lord the King hath no more… ![“Wee do freely profess that our Lord the King hath no more power over their Roman Catholics' coonsciences than over ours, and that is none at all ... let people be heretikes, Turks, Jews, or whatsoever, it apperteynes not to the earthly power to punish them in the least measure.” quote by Thomas Helwys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/thomas-helwys-88850_atheism_wee-do-freely-profess-that-our-lord-the_514704.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/thomas-helwys-88850_atheism_wee-do-freely-profess-that-our-lord-the_514704.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/thomas-helwys-88850_atheism_wee-do-freely-profess-that-our-lord-the_514704.jpg) > “Wee do freely profess that our Lord the King hath no more power over their Roman Catholics' coonsciences than over ours, and that is none at all ... let people be heretikes, Turks, Jews, or whatsoever, it apperteynes not to the earthly power to punish them in the least measure.” Thomas Helwys ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author argues that a sovereign’s authority over conscience is limited; religious tolerance should prevail regardless of faith. **In simple terms:** Authority over conscience is limited; tolerance is essential. Key Takeaway Advocate religious freedom and tolerance. Themes religious freedom tolerance authority conscience human rights Mood hopeful assertive ethical Type argument historical When to use this quote - legal reform - interfaith dialogue - educational curricula Key Concepts secularism pluralism ethical governance Questions to Reflect On - How does this view align with modern secularism? - What are limits of state authority over belief? A Different Perspective Historical context may differ from modern legal systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Jew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jew/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [Our lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-lord/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Roman catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roman-catholic/) ## Related quotes > [The Roman Catholics teach that unless you're a Roman Catholic you do not go to heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/the-roman-catholics-teach-that-unless-you-re-a-roman-catholic-you-do/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [The Roman Catholic Church is an institution for whose gains the phrase "ill-gotten" might have been specially invented. And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Evangelicals have to face it (like Roman Catholics of 16th century had to): Increasingly, our version of Good News is neither news nor good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/evangelicals-have-to-face-it-like-roman-catholics-of-16th-century-had/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [You give Italy Jesus Christ and you get the Roman Catholic Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indro-montanelli/you-give-italy-jesus-christ-and-you-get-the-roman-catholic-church/) [Indro Montanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indro-montanelli/) > [Protestant churches everywhere are gravitating toward union with the Roman Catholic Church. These religious movements are speeding the fulfillment of the prophecies of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-w-armstrong/protestant-churches-everywhere-are-gravitating-toward-union-with-the/) [Herbert W. Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-w-armstrong/) > [“It is impossible to make peace with the Roman Catholic Church. It is one of the permanent enemies of all that is decent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-laski/it-is-impossible-to-make-peace-with-the-roman-catholic-church-it-is/) [Harold Laski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-laski/) > [The more we study the early Church, the more we realize that it was a society of ministers. About the only similarity between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/the-more-we-study-the-early-church-the-more-we-realize-that-it-was-a/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [Once the Roman Catholic Church in the West became the church most closely connected with the state, the Roman Catholic Church did not recognize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/once-the-roman-catholic-church-in-the-west-became-the-church-most/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Can a free government possibly exist with the Roman Catholic religion?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/can-a-free-government-possibly-exist-with-the-roman-catholic-religion/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The fashion just now is a Roman Catholic frame of mind with an Agnostic conscience; you get the mediaeval picturesqueness of the one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-fashion-just-now-is-a-roman-catholic-frame-of-mind-with-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is true, these Roman Catholics, priests and all, impress me as a people who have fallen far behind the significance of their symbols.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-true-these-roman-catholics-priests-and-all-impress-me-as-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A Roman Catholic worships a god who speaks through the Pope, while a Baptist worships a god who does not. They cannot be worshipping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hayes/a-roman-catholic-worships-a-god-who-speaks-through-the-pope-while-a/) [Judith Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hayes/) > [We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-live-in-a-very-pluralistic-society-today-there-are-buddhists/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Jesus was the poorest of the poor. Roman Catholicism, which claims to be His church, is the richest of the rich, the wealthiest institution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avro-manhattan/jesus-was-the-poorest-of-the-poor-roman-catholicism-which-claims-to/) [Avro Manhattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avro-manhattan/) > [If I should say anything that is not in conformity with what is held by the Holy Roman Catholic Church, it will be through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-should-say-anything-that-is-not-in-conformity-with-what-is-held/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Thomas Helwys > [For men's religion to God is between God and themselves. The king shall not answer for it. Neither may the king be judge between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-helwys/for-men-s-religion-to-god-is-between-god-and-themselves-the-king/) Thomas Helwys Explore all 2 Thomas Helwys quotes ## More Atheism quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. 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Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/) [Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Do you think that was kind? 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