Davies’ willingness to submit to the prevailing church-state arrangement should not be mistaken for passivity. He fought doggedly for the rights of non-conformists, arguing that the 1689 Act of Toleration, which protected dissenters in England, applied in the colonies. If dissenters like him obtained the required licenses and obeyed the appropriate laws, they should be free, he argued, to preach and worship according to conscience. Though not trained in the law, his work on behalf of dissenters gave him a reputation for legal acumen. Upon seeing Davies, one of his opponents reportedly said, “There goes a capital lawyer spoiled.”

Cooperative spirit and legal advocacy were for Davies a means to his primary end: to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the field into which God sent him was white for harvest. Prior to Davies’ arrival, the winds of religious awakening had blown through Hanover. Almost spontaneously, members of the community began to take their souls seriously. They developed a taste for religious reading, including Luther’s commentary on Galatians and the printed sermons of George Whitefield. They met together in the home of a local bricklayer to discuss spiritual matters and to pray. Davies began pastoring the Hanover congregations in May 1748, and the people heard him gladly. Read more»

David Irving, “Samuel Davies (1723–1761),” By Faith (July 30, 2026)

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