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Living on the Borders of Eternity: The Story of Samuel Davies and the Struggle for Religious Toleration in Colonial Virginia

"Living on the borders of eternity" were the words Samuel Davies employed to describe his feelings of being a physically sick man who didn't have long to live. Burdened since his youth with tuberculosis, a common cause of death among many in his generation, Davies at one point was advised by his physician to give up hope of continuing his ministry in Virginia. Though he expected his days to be numbered, he refused to give up at twenty-three years of age, and for eleven years made a remarkable impression on multitudes, leaving a legacy unmatched in his time, and by few since.

Living on the Borders of Eternity: The Story of Samuel Davies and the Struggle for Religious Toleration in Colonial Virginia

One of the persistent myths in America is that from the beginning of the occupation of this land by Europeans, religious freedom was sought after and practiced here. The history of New England and Virginia clearly demonstrates the contrary. For most of the years between Jamestown 1607 until the Revolution, the government and the church were locked hand in hand. The beginning of the disengagement began in Hanover County, Virginia around 1740.

The truly exciting story of Samuel Davies and the struggle for religious toleration in Virginia is told in this book. It is a true story that needs to be told and deserves to be understood. Our ignorance of these events and people who brought us such important changes leaves us without full appreciation of the price paid for our liberty.

Robert Bluford, Jr. is the Founder and President of the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation. He is the 2004 recipient of the annual award presented by the Council of America's First Freedom. He has been a Presbyterian minister for over five decades.

ISBN 0-9754215-0-6
$24.95 Clothbound Hardcover
494pp.

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