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POLITICAL SERMONS FROM PASTORS IN THE FOUNDING ERA
PART 29

 

By Pastor Roger Anghis
March 9, 2014
NewsWithViews.com

Preached before the Honorable Council, And the honorable House of Representatives of the Colony of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England. MAY 29th, 1776.

Being the Anniversary for the Election of THE honorable COUNCIL FOR the Colony. By Pastor Samuel West of Dartmouth.

Foundation Scriptures:

And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning : afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city, Isaiah 4:26:

Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregations shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them : and their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them, Jeremiah 30:20- 21.

As free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of GOD, 1 Peter 2: 16.

The beast that thou sawest, shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition : and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast. Revelation 17:8.

Pastor West has been describing the principles that the American society lived by. British Parliament had attempted to put a stop to those foundations and establish the system that was in England which was monarch centered and nor God centered. As with most pastors in that era, they kept before the people the principles of God and the need to stand their ground and not allow those principles to be usurped. “From hence it follows that tyranny and arbitrary power are utterly inconsistent with and subversive of the very end and design of civil government, and directly contrary to natural law, which is the true foundation of civil government and all politic law. Consequently, the authority of a tyrant is of itself null and void; for as no man can have a right to act contrary to the law of nature, it is impossible that any individual, or even the greatest number of men, can confer a right upon another of which they themselves are not possessed; i. e., no body of men can justly and lawfully authorize any person to tyrannize over and enslave his fellow-creatures, or do anything contrary to equity and goodness. As magistrates have no authority but what they derive from the people, whenever they act contrary to the public good, and pursue measures destructive of the peace and safety of the community, they forfeit their right to govern the people. Civil rulers and magistrates are properly of human creation; they are set up by the people to be the guardians of their rights, and to secure their persons from being injured or oppressed, — the safety of the public being the supreme law of the state, by which the magistrates are to be governed, and which 'they are to consult upon all occasions.”[1] (Emphasis mine)

Notice here that West is adamant about the character of the people who are to be in authority: ‘no body of men can justly and lawfully authorize any person to tyrannize over and enslave his fellow-creatures’. He also make the point that all power of government is derived from the people: ‘As magistrates have no authority but what they derive from the people.’ This is a stand that pastors need to make today. All the regulations that are coming out of Washington today demands that the government be allowed to control not just our businesses but our personal lives as well.

West proves most of today’s historians wrong in this next statement by declaring that those in authority are to be godly men and act as God would have them act. If we demanded this type of character today there would be lawsuits by the dozens filed. “Though magistrates are to consider themselves as the servants of the people, seeing from them it is that they derive their power and authority, yet they may also be considered as the ministers of God ordained by him for the good of mankind; for, under him, as the Supreme Magistrate of the universe, they are to act : and it is God who has not only declared in his word what are the necessary qualifications of a ruler, but who also raises up and qualifies men for such an important station. The magistrate may also, in a more strict and proper sense, be said to be ordained of God, because reason, which is the voice of God, plainly requires such an order of men to be appointed for the public good. Now, whatever right reason requires as necessary to be done is as much the will and law of God as though it were enjoined us by an immediate revelation from heaven, or commanded in the sacred Scriptures.

From this account of the origin, nature, and design of civil government, we may be very easily led into a thorough knowledge of our duty ; we may see the reason why we are bound to obey magistrates, viz., because they are the ministers of God for good unto the people. While, therefore, they rule in the fear of God, and while they promote the welfare of the state, — i. e., while they act in the character of magistrates,—it is the indispensable duty of all to submit to them, and to oppose a turbulent, factious, and libertine spirit, whenever and wherever it discovers itself.”[2] (Emphasis mine)

West points out that obedience to those in authority is God directed but that obedience hinges on those in authority being godly men and women. He does point out that when those in authority are the godly men they are required to be that obedience is very necessary for a society to operate properly: “When a people have by their free consent conferred upon a number of men a power to rule and govern them, they are bound to obey them. Hence disobedience becomes a breach of faith; it is violating a constitution of their own appointing, and breaking a compact for which they ought to have the most sacred regard. Such a conduct discovers so base and disingenuous a temper of mind, that it must expose them to contempt in the judgment of all the sober, thinking part of mankind. Subjects are bound to obey lawful magistrates by every tender tie of human nature, which disposes us to consult the public good, and to seek the good of our brethren, our wives, our children, our friends and acquaintance ; for he that opposes lawful authority does really oppose the safety and happiness of his fellow-creatures. A factious, seditious person, that opposes good government, is a monster in nature ; for he is an enemy to his own species, and destitute of the sentiments of humanity.”[3] (Emphasis mine)


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In examining this sermon it is obvious that the main point West is making is the need for the political arena to be populated with men that are of a god-fearing nature and that are willing to look out for the best interests of the people and nation as a whole. What we have today are politicians that become millionaires while in office on the backs of the taxpayer and today’s preachers, for the most part won’t, remain silent for fear of offending someone. News flash for today’s preachers – When you tell the truth someone will be offended, TOO BAD!

Click here for part -----> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,

Footnotes:

1. Pulpit of the American Revolution, John W. Thorton, The Federalist Papers Project, (Gould and Lincoln, Boston), pp. 276-277.
2. Pulpit of the American Revolution, John W. Thorton, The Federalist Papers Project, (Gould and Lincoln, Boston), pp. 277-278.
3. Pulpit of the American Revolution, John W. Thorton, The Federalist Papers Project, (Gould and Lincoln, Boston), p. 278.

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Pastor Roger Anghis is the Founder of RestoreFreeSpeech.org, an organization designed to draw attention to the need of returning free speech rights to churches that was restricted in 1954.

President of The Damascus Project, TheDamascusProject.org, which has a stated purpose of teaching pastors and lay people the need of the churches involvement in the political arena and to teach the historical role of Christianity in the politics of the United States. Married-37 years, 3 children, three grandchildren.

Web site: RestoreFreeSpeech.org

E-Mail: editor@restorefreespeech.org


 

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Notice here that West is adamant about the character of the people who are to be in authority: ‘no body of men can justly and lawfully authorize any person to tyrannize over and enslave his fellow-creatures’.