In 17th century England, extreme religious conviction and persecution swept across the lands. Specifically, Christians were being targeted and victimized. England was drowning in the blood of Christian martyrs who chose death over abandoning their faith. There were many people who spoke out against the brutal execution of Christians. One of the stakeholders who spoke against these hateful attacks was Roger Williams, a religious leader and one of the founders of the state of Rhode Island. Another was a martyr by the name of John Rogers who accepted the punishment of death by burning at the stake for what he believed and wrote a poem to other Christians just days before his death. There is also drawings of the horrors experienced by Christians…show more content… He criticizes them and calls them into question for their actions. Williams’ main argument in his plea is that this persecution of Christians is morally and ethically wrong. He states that there are various incidents in biblical scriptures where the bible takes a stance “against the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience” (Williams). In this written plea, Williams notes each flaw within the act of persecution by listing his points in an orderly fashion. He writes “firstly” before his first point, and “secondly” before his second point, and so on. This has the effect of a very factual and honest evaluation, which helps him to establish good credibility so that his audience will respect the argument he is trying to make. Williams is not going out of his way to use eloquent speech and create a “well written” piece. He is simply giving hard facts and listing them in a way that communicates how hard the facts are. Williams also employs a level of emotional appeal in his plea. This is evident when he lists his first point and says, “that the blood of so many hundred thousand souls of Protestants and Papists, spilt in the wars of present and former ages, for their respective consciences, is not required nor accepted by Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace”