He afterwards embraced some of the leading opinions of the Baptists, and in March 1639, was baptized by immersion, at Providence, by Ezekiel Holliman, whom he afterwards baptized. He formed a Society of this order, and continued preaching to them for several months, and then separated from them, doubting, it is said, the validity of all baptism, because a direct succession could not be traced from the Apostles to the officiating ministers. In 1643, Williams went to England as agent for the colonies at Providence, Rhode Island, and Warwick, to solicit a charter of incorporation, which he finally procured, signed by the Earl of Warwick, then Governor and Admiral of the English plantations, and by his Council--bearing date March 14, 1644. On the 17th of September, 1644, he returned from England and landed at Boston, bringing a letter of recommendation to the Governor and Assistants of the Massachusetts Bay, from some of the most influential members of the Long Parliament. This saved him from the penalty incurred by him on entering their bounds, which he avoided at his departure, by taking ship at New-York. In 1651, serious difficulties having been raised in the colony, by Coddington’s procuring a Charter, which gave him almost unlimited authority over the Islands of Narragansett Bay, Williams and Clarke were despatched as agents of the colony, to procure a revocation of it. This they effected in October 1652. Williams returned in 1654, but Clarke remained in England, and procured the second Charter of 1663. While in England at this time Williams resided a principal part of the time, at Belleau, a seat of Sir Henry Vane, in Lincolnshire; and on his return, brought a letter from him, recorded in the records of Providence, inviting the planters to a closer union with one another. This letter, aided by the urgent and constant solicitations of Williams, finally restored peace and union to the colony, which, during his absence, had been rent by many divisions. He was several times both before and after this period, elected to the office of President or Governor of this colony, by the “free vote of the freemen.” He died in April, 1683, at Providence, and was buried under arms, in his family burying ground, with every testimony of respect that the colony could manifest. He was the father of six children: viz. Mary, Freeborn, Providence, Mercy, Daniel, and Joseph; the descendants of whom, at this time, amount to several thousands.