John Leland

John Leland   (May 14, 1754 – January 14, 1841)was an American Baptist minister who preached in Massachusetts and Virginia, as well an outspoken abolitionist. He was an important figure in the struggle for religious liberty in the United States

You can read about this fascinating man here.

I had found the first quotation below someplace and really liked it.  I did a little research (thank you Wikipedia) and found out about him.  

"The notion of a Christian commonwealth should be exploded forever...Government should protect every man in thinking and speaking freely, and see that one does not abuse another. The liberty I contend for is more than toleration. The very idea of toleration is despicable; it supposes that some have a pre-eminence above the rest to grant indulgence, whereas all should be equally free, Jews, Turks, Pagans and Christians."

Other Quotations listed from Wikipedia are:

• "Truth disdains the aid of law for its defense — it will stand upon its own merits." - Right of Conscience Inalienable.

• "Every man must give account of himself to God, and therefore every man ought to be at liberty to serve God in a way that he can best reconcile to his conscience. If government can answer for individuals at the day of judgment, let men be controlled by it in religious matters; otherwise, let men be free." -Right of Conscience Inalienable.

• "Resolved, that slavery is a violent deprivation of rights of nature and inconsistent with a republican government, and therefore, recommend it to our brethren to make use of every legal measure to extirpate this horrid evil from the land; and pray Almighty God that our honorable legislature may have it in their power to proclaim the great jubilee, consistent with the principles of good policy." - Resolution for the General Committee of Virginia Baptists meeting in Richmond, Virginia in 1789.

Google Books has made available a book (The Writings of The Late John Elder)  which you can download and read for free.  I started reading it and found this statement:

In the summer of 1772, I met with one thing singular. When I was returning from my frolicks or evening diversions, the following words would sound from the skies, "You are not about the work which you have got to do." The last time I heard those sounds, I stood amazed; and turning my eyes up to the heavens, it seemed that there was a work of more weight than a mountain, which I had yet to perform.

Needless to say I am intrigued..  All this from one quotation.  The Internets are wonderful