Rev. John Wise Writings and Biography

Wise, Rev. John; 1652-1725; a leading churchman and a strong supporter of Liberty; served Congregational church in parish of Ipswich, Mass. from ordination to his death; led fellow townsmen in 1687 in revolt against tax levied by the royal Governor Andros without consent of legislative body--was jailed in the course of the dispute; in 1717 wrote A Vindication of the Government of New England Churches, in which he stressed the main principles to be proclaimed in 1776 in the Declaration of Independence; exemplified the early leadership of the American people by the New England clergy in support of the cause of Liberty.

Biographical data courtesy of The American Ideal of 1776: 12 Basic American Principles.