Abstract: This article presents an original conception of freedom of expression and religious tolerance developed by Pieter Balling, a close friend and collaborator of Spinoza, based on a study of his pamphlet The Light Upon the Candlestick (1662). By placing this text in the context of theological debates between Collegiants, Quakers, and Mennonites, it enhances the notion of intersubjective intimacy and the ideal of a pastoral ministry without hierarchy, offering the image of a thinker both radical and peaceful.
