Introduction To America's Providential History And Christian Civil Duties
Stephen McDowell Welcome to America's Providential History podcast where we talk about the real story of America and explore the hand of God in our history. Now here's your host, Steven McDowell. Hello. I'm glad you're joining us for this edition of America's Providential History. today we're going to be continuing talking about what I began a few weeks ago on how Christians can fulfill their civil duties. We learn that we do have civil duties, that Jesus taught about civil affairs and many different of his teachings. Those teachings have transformed the world.
Fulfilling Civil Duties: Selecting Officials, Education, And Early American Social Transformation
We began to look at practical ways how we can fulfill our civil duties. This includes one, we need to get involved in choosing, selecting those who represent us in government, be involved in selecting godly officials. Then we also looked, we should educate ourselves and others on biblical government and civil duties. Christians in early America certainly did that. That's why we were birthed as a free nation, birthed in Christian ideas and Christian self government. And then a third point of how we can fulfill our civil duties. We must take social action. We must speak and act on issues of the day, pertinent things that we face today in society. We shouldn't shirk and think, oh, we don't, shouldn't even be involved in those things. But if it's we have a duty to be salt and light in our community, to uphold God's moral truth, in the marketplace of ideas and early Americans.
Examining Early American Social Transformation And The Birth Of A Free Nation
We began to examine how early Americans certainly did that, that they led the way in social transformation, establishing America as a free nation, involved in or the motivation for we need to start colonies. And they came over and began to plant these early colonies. we saw how they began to educate and evangelize the Native Americans that were here as well as educate themselves. They were leaders in the birth of America, in the specific events that occur that led up to the American fighting and the American Revolution, to guiding the nation through this challenging time for providing the understanding of things like a defensive war and a just cause as sinless before God. And so they were leaders in the birth of the United States.
Founders' Role In Anti-Slavery Movement And Establishing Bible Societies
They were also leaders in the antislavery movement and the abolition of slavery. Contrary to what's presented today, what presented today by the Marxist socialist educators is that the 1619 Project people say that the foundational part of America, foundation of America is sinful, it's built on slavery and therefore nothing is good about it and nothing is good about our founders. But that's just simply untrue because it was the founders who actually founders of America who first began to take steps to end slavery in the world. Benjamin Rush, assigner of the Declaration of Independence, father of medicine in America. He and many of other of our founders started anti slavery societies as well as Bible societies and many volunteer organizations.
Bible Societies As Pillars Of Truth And National Foundation
This was part of them fulfilling their social duties. As far as Bible societies, they recognize everybody needs to have a Bible because a free nation can only be built upon truth. And they understood that truth comes from the Creator, from God himself who revealed it in the scriptures. And so that's why you can have for example, Jon Marshall, that great, chief justice in early America. He served as vice president of the American Bible Society. James McHenry, signer of the Constitution, was president of the Baltimore Bible Society. Jon Langdon, signer of the Constitution, was vice president of the American Bible Society. Rufus King, signer of the Constitution, was member of the NewSong York Bible Society. Jon Quincy Adams, our sixth president was vice president of the American Bible Society. And Elias Boudinot, who served as president of the Continental Congress.
Founding Fathers Established American Bible Society, Prioritizing God's Truth
This was before our US Constitution, but under the Articles of Confederation, he was the founder and first president of the American Bible Society. And he considered that to be the most important thing he had ever done. And I could go on and on and on from Jon Jay to Rufus Putman to Benjamin Rush, listing founding fathers who not only served in civil government, but they, founded Bible societies to transmit the truth of the Bible. 35 of these Bible societies that our founders helped start joined together in 1816 to form the American Bible Society. And as I mentioned, Elias Boudinot, who was president of the Continental Congress in 1782, became its first president.
American Bible Society's Impact And Founders' Stance On Slavery
85 Other local Bible societies joined, in the first year with those 35 to form what has been the greatest promoter distributor of Bibles. I think well over one and a half billion Bibles. Over the years the American Bible Society has transmitted in the founding fathers who gave us the Declaration, the Constitution were an integral part of giving birth to these because they recognize it's part of our civil duty, to do this. Benjamin Rush not only helped start a Bible society, but he started one of the first anti slavery societies as well. you know, most of our founders were against slavery.
Founders Led Anti-Slavery Movement, Preceding British Abolition Efforts
They saw it as a social evil that needed to be transformed. Many of them were leaders in the anti slavery movement directly from Samuel Adams to Steven Hopkins to Jon Adams to Roger Sherman to Elbridge Gerry to James Wilson to Jon Witherspoon, just to name a few of the signers of the Declaration of independence who also spoke out and were leaders in the anti slavery society. Now we know some probably have heard of the member of parliament, William Wilberforce, and how he helped to bring about the end of slavery in Britain. Working for decades and decades, he was a member of the British parliament. He was a leader of the Clapham sect. That was a group of evangelicals who were active in political, philanthropic and religious causes. He championed parliamentary and prison reforms, missionary endeavors, Bible distribution. He worked 18 years to secure the abolition of the slave trade which occurred in England, Britain, 1807. Labored 26 more years for the ending of slavery in the British empire which occurred in 1833. But while he was doing that, there the founders of America were ahead of his time.
Early Abolition Of Slavery In America Precedes International Efforts
They did it first. And 1780, when the people of Massachusetts wrote a new constitution. Since we gained independence from Great Britain, every one of the colonies wrote a new constitution, but one kept the one that they had because they had a degree of self government. But they, Massachusetts abolished slavery in their state, from 1780 under the constitution, way before William Wilberforce did anything. And then in the next 10, 15 years, seven other of the original 13 colonies, eight colonies, ended slavery. So these people were on the forefront of taking action to end this social evil that had plagued mankind since the beginning. And it was not just a Caucasian race that enslaved others. In fact, the numbers are probably smallest among the Caucasians. But everybody, every race, every nation, every people, people enslave one another, yes, when they fought wars. And often the outcome of the victor was to enslave those that they conquered, but not just that.
Historical Context of Slavery and Christian Liberation Efforts in America
But the Muslims were greatly involved in the slave trade for centuries and centuries. And Africans would fight one another, sell the defeated enemy to the Muslims who would then sell them to others. But the Muslims also trafficked in European, slaves. There's, there were more whites enslaved, by Muslims, over a few centuries, over a million than there were blacks brought to the new world, perhaps 500,000 or so. And it was Christians in America who once they gained their independence, began to free slaves, liberate the slaves.
Founding Fathers' Actions To End Slavery And The Northwest Ordinance
They took action to end this social evil. In 1789, George Washington signed the first federal anti slavery piece of legislation, the Northwest ordinance, which forbids slavery in the new territories of the northwest, which would have been Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, those states. And we've looked at this a little in past, podcasts. I may explore it in more detail in the future. But the future truth is the fact of the matter is that the founding fathers of America did more to end slavery than anybody else had done up until that time.
Declaration of Independence Principles And The End Of Slavery
They led the way in ending slavery. Yes. Some of the states did not, you know, the Southern states did not, were not successful in ending it like they were in the Northern states. And we had to fight a battle, a war. But it was the principles in the Declaration of Independence that our Founding fathers gave us that by the way, they got those ideas from the ministers because every major idea in the Declaration you can find a sermon that in decades prior to that that ministers preached regarding these God given rights and liberties.
Christian Influence on Social Transformation: Anti-Slavery and Women's Rights
And so the ideas prevailed. And slavery was ended because of the Civil War. And of course Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. He was involved in that. So the point is Christians were involved in this social issue, bringing about social transformation. They evangelized and educated Indians. They were leaders in giving birth to America, leaders in the anti slavery movement, leaders in the abolition of slavery. They're also leaders in education for women. when Abigail Adams wrote to Jon, remember the women? Well, the founding principles of America did, began as they were, produce fruit within society.
Elevation of Women's Role Through Education and Christian Leadership
They ended slavery, they elevated the role of women. They began to recognize that they need to have access to education and truth as much as anyone. And of course they received that in the churches and homes prior to schools and colleges, being started for women. But when that began to happen in the 1800s, it was Christian women who led the way. Like Frances Willard.
Frances Willard: Christian Leader in Women's Education and Temperance
She was a woman's educator, co founder of the Women's Christian Temperance movement. She participated in evangelical meetings in 1900s, preaching the gospel as well. There's a statue of her in the United States Capitol. She's standing with a little pulpit on which it's engraved for God and home and every land. And so it was Christians leading the way in education for women.
Christian Philanthropy in Education for All and Historical Educators
And Christians were leaders in education for all people because as we've explored in the past, they recognized everybody needs to know the truth for themselves. And so we need to provide a way, make sure that widow, the orphans, everybody, whoever it may be, can have full access to understanding the truth. So Christians acting upon a biblical philosophy of education have led the way in education for all people. Now this has been the case from the first centuries, from origin and Jerome and later Erasmus, around the time of the Protestant Reformation in America, especially Jon Harvard, Jon Cotton, Jon Witherspoon, Noah Webster, Emma Willard, William McGuffey, Booker T. Washington, just to name a few of these Christian Educators motivated by an understanding. I have civil duties to, help make sure everyone is educated.
Founding Principles of Early Colleges: Education Centered on Knowing God
In truth, they wrote books and started schools and led the way. and as we've looked at in past podcasts, the early schools and colleges were started by Christians. Harvard was established in 1636. One of its original rules states, let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider. Well, the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.
Civil Duties: Social Action To Counteract Forces Damaging Society
Princeton, Its original motto is under God's power, she flourishes. And we could look at all the early colle and see Christians were involved in starting these because they recognized this is part of their civil duties, that they took social action. They speak and acted upon the issues of the day. So we need to learn from them. There's many issues that face our nation today that require social action to push back against the forces that would destroy the family, that destroyed, the personhood of men, male and females as well many issues which requires Christians to stand up and take action.
Four Key Actions for Fulfilling Civil Duties: Officials, Education, Action, Laws
So what can I do to fulfill my civil duties? Be involved in selecting godly officials. Two, educate yourself and others. Three, take social action, speak and act on issues of the day. Four, promote and write godly laws.
Ministers as Authors of Great Civil Laws of Liberty Throughout History
Now, the great civil documents of liberty and history have been written by ministers. Those who best know God's law of liberty should be the ones and have been the ones who wrote the greatest civil laws of liberty. We've looked at a few of these in the past. Like Patrick, he wrote Liber Egs legemoisi in the four hundreds, Justinian's code of law, Alfred's code in the eight hundreds, the Magna Carta in 1215 written by Minister Steven. And when we come to early America, our civil laws of liberty were written by Christians, and pastors often were the authors of these.
Early American Laws Rooted in Divine Morality and Ten Commandments
The first laws written in America were laws divine, moral, martial, etc. That were written in Jamestown from 1609 to 1612. And in these laws, the colonists were required to serve God, to attend divine services, to not speak against God or blaspheme holy name, and did not speak or act in any way that would tend to the derision or despite that is the open defiance of God's holy word upon pain of death. now we might argue with their penalty, but their understanding of the importance of imparting the fundamentals of God's moral law. In fact, the first ten of these laws divine, moral, martial, etc.
Promoting Godly Laws: The Pilgrims' Need for Civil Governance
In Jamestown were in essence a recounting of the ten, commandments. So this is something we can do to fulfill our civil duties, promote and write godly, laws we have in the past. And if, something like that is needed today, we should be there. You know, it was the Pilgrims, these devout Christians, who in 1620, when they landed at Cape Cod, they were blown out from under the jurisdiction of the charter that they were sailing under to start a colony in the north part of Virginia. And so when some of the strangers on board board said, well, when we get ashore, we're going to do what we want, the Pilgrims got together in the main.
Mayflower Compact: Christian Self-Government and Laws Based on God's Law
These Christians who had been trained by their pastor how to reason from the Bible to civil affairs as well as theological affairs, they drew up what we call the Mayflower Compact. Having undertaken for the glory of God, an advancement of the Christian faith, do by these presence and solemnly mutually, in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic. And so this was a great step forward in concepts of Christian self government. And these Christian individuals, the Pilgrims and the Puritans and others, they wrote laws based upon God's higher law. In fact, the laws of the Pilgrims, they first began to write them 1630s and had different editions.
Massachusetts Body of Liberties: Reverend Ward's Biblical Legal Framework
In the 1671 book of General Laws. The introduction states how laws are so far good and wholesome as by how much they are derived from and agreeable to the ancient platform of God's law. So in other words, they said, we're looking to God's law as the standard for our civil laws, because that makes good law. And if your laws violate God's law, they're not good laws and we don't want them. It was a minister, Reverend Nathaniel Ward, who wrote the Massachusetts Body of Liberties in 1641, which is the precursor to our Bill of Rights.
William Penn's Charter of Pennsylvania: A Government Based on Christian Faith
Now, to Reverend Ward, the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible encompassing the law, was the basis for its criminal code. And then in case of the defect of a law, in any particular case, the standard was the word of God. They had a series of laws, but they said, if something comes up and we don't have a law concerning that, the standard is the word of God. So it's clear Christians were involved in civil affairs. They were writing the laws and they looked to the Bible as the source of law.
William Blackstone's View: Civil Government Governed by Creator's Laws
That Quaker evangelist William Penn wrote the charter of Pennsylvania, the government of that colony of Pennsylvania. And it reflects and based upon biblical Christian view of life. his whole action in giving birth to the colony was motivated by his Christian faith. When he was given a charter for Pennsylvania in 1681, he said, My God that has given it to me through many difficulties will I believe, bless, and make it the seed of a nation. And if you were to read his frame of government at Pennsylvania, adopted April 25, 1682, you would see that desire to follow and please and honor God is reflected in his understanding of the purpose of government and the ends of government.
The Law of Nature Dictated by God, Superior to All Human Laws
Why do we have civil government? We've mentioned in past podcasts William Blackstone. He's the English jurist who wrote commentaries of the laws of England, first published in 1748. He had a biblical view of law. In that document, he wrote, man considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his creator, for he is entirely a dependent being.
Law of Nature: God's Revelation in Creation and Conscience
And consequently, as man depends upon, absolutely upon his maker for everything, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his Maker's will. This will of his Maker is called the law of nature. You heard that expression before in the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson did not invent the phrase law of nature. It was a well established phrase that, had a well established meaning.
God's Eternal Laws: The Immutable Standard for Good and Evil
Blackstone is explaining that, that the law of nature is really the revelation of God and his creation in the consc? Of men. Then he goes on to write, these laws laid down by God are the eternal immutable laws of good and evil. This law of nature, dictated by God himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries and at all times.
Biblical View of Law Produced America's Great Liberties: Equal Justice Under God's Law
No human laws or any validity contrary to this. So any law contrary to God's higher law is no law at all. This is the view that those in early America, as Christians, many pastors who wrote our civil laws of liberty had this biblical view of law. That's what produced, our great liberties that we possess. Because as is engraved on the front of the Supreme Court, it says equal justice under law.
Equal Justice Under God's Law: Respect for All Created in His Image
But that concept is only true under God's law. There's only equal justice for all men under God's law, because God's law respects everyone. Everyone is created in the image of God. Everyone has, equal standing before the creator of all things. Many lawmakers in history have been men.
Man-Decreed Laws vs. God's Law: The Foundation for True Justice
And that law is emanated from the men. Well, I should say from the ruler, like Ahmed or Caesar or, or, Pharaoh, whoever it may be. They've had law, but it's a law decreed by man. And those walls do not provide equal justice. Only God's law provides equal justice.
Fulfilling Civil Duties: Establishing God's Law as the Standard for National Liberty
Blackstone the founders of America understood, if we're going to have liberty and freedom, protection of life, liberty and property, we need to set up the rule of God's law as the standard for our life in our nation. So we're talking about what can we do to fulfill our civil duties, be involved in selecting godly officials, educate yourself and others, take social action, speak and act on issues of the day. 4. Promote and write godly laws. A fifth thing we can do is to stand upon our, our legal rights.
Standing on Legal Rights: Apostle Paul's Example of Asserting Civil Liberties
First, we need to understand what our legal rights are. Remember the Apostle Paul? He was a Roman citizen and when his rights were violated by certain, authorities, Acts 16, he was thrown in jail. When they found out that he was a Roman citizen who had rights under Roman law, his local officials were very nervous and they came and said, well, you can go now, Paul kind of secretly and he said, no indeed, you need to come here and apologize because you violated my rights as a Roman citizen. Then in the Book of Acts, last two chapters of the Book of Acts, Paul appealed to Caesar because his civil rights were going to be violated.
William Penn's Fight for Jury Rights and Understanding Civil Liberties
He said, no, I have certain rights. He knew the rights. He stood upon those rights and the whole course of his later years were impacted because Paul considered his civil liberties a sacred cause. William Penn, we've talked about him in a past podcast and how he was instrumental in helping secure the rights of juries to issue their verdict without fear of persecution. William Penn argued, and many times he went to court and thrown in jail.
Obeying God Rather Than Man: Resisting Civil Leaders Who Violate God-Given Rights
But he knew his civil rights and liberty. He studied them and could quote them page numbers on the rights that he possessed as a British citizen. So he understood his civil liberties. He considered them a sacred cause. He acted upon them and brought great blessing to mankind because of that.
Fulfilling Christian Duties: Transforming Society Through Understanding God-Given Rights
So we can do that as well. We need to stand upon our legal rights and fight in that arena as well. Because Acts 5:29 tells us we must obey God rather than man. And so if man, if civil leaders violate our God given rights, then we have a duty to resist. We need to understand our God given rights.
The Gospel's Call for Societal Transformation: Fulfilling Christian Civil Duties
And then we need to understand, in our nation at this time in our history, you know, what those rights are and how to fight those rights because we are actually being faithful, to fulfill our Christian duties. This is part of the work of the gospel. We're not called just to go and preach the gospel and tell people how to get saved. Certainly we're to do that, but we're to, bring transformation to the society at large. We're to transform men m and we're to transform, nations as we explored when we began to start this series of podcasts, how Christians can fulfill their civil duties.
Knowing and Defending God-Given Rights for Personal and Societal Benefit
So we need to understand this is part of what we're called to do. To be faithful servants of God, we need to know our God given rights and liberties. We need to stand upon them and fight in that arena because it's not just for us. Not only will we benefit from our fulfilling our civil duties, but others will as well. They won't have to go through confiscation of their business and shutting down their business, confiscation of their property because they won't make, cakes for homosexual weddings or whatever it may be.
Recap of Christian Civil Duties and Preview of Next Podcast
We need to stand and fight because we're being faithful to God and fulfilling duties that we have. Well, there are other civil duties that we have that I do want to explore and I'm, going to pick up some of those in our next podcast. So we are looking at how Christians can fulfill their civil duties, how we should be elect godly officials, educate ourselves and others, take social action, promote and right godly laws, and stand upon our legal rights. And we'll take up this same topic and subject next week as well. So in the meantime, if you want to learn more, Visit our website, providencefoundation.com we have many resources free for you to read, to view, to look at our newest resources.
Resources for Further Learning: Providence Foundation and Educated for Liberty
The film Educated for Liberty, can be accessed, for [email protected] you can also find it on our homepage, a panel on our homepage providencefoundation.com so I'd encourage you to take advantage of that. So thanks for joining us this week. Hope you can come back as we, continue to explore what can I, I do to fulfill my civil duties. Well, God bless you.
Introduction To America's Providential History And Christian Civil Duties
Stephen McDowell Welcome to America's Providential History podcast where we talk about the real story of America and explore the hand of God in our history. Now here's your host, Steven McDowell. Hello. I'm glad you're joining us for this edition of America's Providential History. today we're going to be continuing talking about what I began a few weeks ago on how Christians can fulfill their civil duties. We learn that we do have civil duties, that Jesus taught about civil affairs and many different of his teachings. Those teachings have transformed the world.
Fulfilling Civil Duties: Selecting Officials, Education, And Early American Social Transformation
We began to look at practical ways how we can fulfill our civil duties. This includes one, we need to get involved in choosing, selecting those who represent us in government, be involved in selecting godly officials. Then we also looked, we should educate ourselves and others on biblical government and civil duties. Christians in early America certainly did that. That's why we were birthed as a free nation, birthed in Christian ideas and Christian self government. And then a third point of how we can fulfill our civil duties. We must take social action. We must speak and act on issues of the day, pertinent things that we face today in society. We shouldn't shirk and think, oh, we don't, shouldn't even be involved in those things. But if it's we have a duty to be salt and light in our community, to uphold God's moral truth, in the marketplace of ideas and early Americans.
Examining Early American Social Transformation And The Birth Of A Free Nation
We began to examine how early Americans certainly did that, that they led the way in social transformation, establishing America as a free nation, involved in or the motivation for we need to start colonies. And they came over and began to plant these early colonies. we saw how they began to educate and evangelize the Native Americans that were here as well as educate themselves. They were leaders in the birth of America, in the specific events that occur that led up to the American fighting and the American Revolution, to guiding the nation through this challenging time for providing the understanding of things like a defensive war and a just cause as sinless before God. And so they were leaders in the birth of the United States.
Founders' Role In Anti-Slavery Movement And Establishing Bible Societies
They were also leaders in the antislavery movement and the abolition of slavery. Contrary to what's presented today, what presented today by the Marxist socialist educators is that the 1619 Project people say that the foundational part of America, foundation of America is sinful, it's built on slavery and therefore nothing is good about it and nothing is good about our founders. But that's just simply untrue because it was the founders who actually founders of America who first began to take steps to end slavery in the world. Benjamin Rush, assigner of the Declaration of Independence, father of medicine in America. He and many of other of our founders started anti slavery societies as well as Bible societies and many volunteer organizations.
Bible Societies As Pillars Of Truth And National Foundation
This was part of them fulfilling their social duties. As far as Bible societies, they recognize everybody needs to have a Bible because a free nation can only be built upon truth. And they understood that truth comes from the Creator, from God himself who revealed it in the scriptures. And so that's why you can have for example, Jon Marshall, that great, chief justice in early America. He served as vice president of the American Bible Society. James McHenry, signer of the Constitution, was president of the Baltimore Bible Society. Jon Langdon, signer of the Constitution, was vice president of the American Bible Society. Rufus King, signer of the Constitution, was member of the NewSong York Bible Society. Jon Quincy Adams, our sixth president was vice president of the American Bible Society. And Elias Boudinot, who served as president of the Continental Congress.
Founding Fathers Established American Bible Society, Prioritizing God's Truth
This was before our US Constitution, but under the Articles of Confederation, he was the founder and first president of the American Bible Society. And he considered that to be the most important thing he had ever done. And I could go on and on and on from Jon Jay to Rufus Putman to Benjamin Rush, listing founding fathers who not only served in civil government, but they, founded Bible societies to transmit the truth of the Bible. 35 of these Bible societies that our founders helped start joined together in 1816 to form the American Bible Society. And as I mentioned, Elias Boudinot, who was president of the Continental Congress in 1782, became its first president.
American Bible Society's Impact And Founders' Stance On Slavery
85 Other local Bible societies joined, in the first year with those 35 to form what has been the greatest promoter distributor of Bibles. I think well over one and a half billion Bibles. Over the years the American Bible Society has transmitted in the founding fathers who gave us the Declaration, the Constitution were an integral part of giving birth to these because they recognize it's part of our civil duty, to do this. Benjamin Rush not only helped start a Bible society, but he started one of the first anti slavery societies as well. you know, most of our founders were against slavery.
Founders Led Anti-Slavery Movement, Preceding British Abolition Efforts
They saw it as a social evil that needed to be transformed. Many of them were leaders in the anti slavery movement directly from Samuel Adams to Steven Hopkins to Jon Adams to Roger Sherman to Elbridge Gerry to James Wilson to Jon Witherspoon, just to name a few of the signers of the Declaration of independence who also spoke out and were leaders in the anti slavery society. Now we know some probably have heard of the member of parliament, William Wilberforce, and how he helped to bring about the end of slavery in Britain. Working for decades and decades, he was a member of the British parliament. He was a leader of the Clapham sect. That was a group of evangelicals who were active in political, philanthropic and religious causes. He championed parliamentary and prison reforms, missionary endeavors, Bible distribution. He worked 18 years to secure the abolition of the slave trade which occurred in England, Britain, 1807. Labored 26 more years for the ending of slavery in the British empire which occurred in 1833. But while he was doing that, there the founders of America were ahead of his time.
Early Abolition Of Slavery In America Precedes International Efforts
They did it first. And 1780, when the people of Massachusetts wrote a new constitution. Since we gained independence from Great Britain, every one of the colonies wrote a new constitution, but one kept the one that they had because they had a degree of self government. But they, Massachusetts abolished slavery in their state, from 1780 under the constitution, way before William Wilberforce did anything. And then in the next 10, 15 years, seven other of the original 13 colonies, eight colonies, ended slavery. So these people were on the forefront of taking action to end this social evil that had plagued mankind since the beginning. And it was not just a Caucasian race that enslaved others. In fact, the numbers are probably smallest among the Caucasians. But everybody, every race, every nation, every people, people enslave one another, yes, when they fought wars. And often the outcome of the victor was to enslave those that they conquered, but not just that.
Historical Context of Slavery and Christian Liberation Efforts in America
But the Muslims were greatly involved in the slave trade for centuries and centuries. And Africans would fight one another, sell the defeated enemy to the Muslims who would then sell them to others. But the Muslims also trafficked in European, slaves. There's, there were more whites enslaved, by Muslims, over a few centuries, over a million than there were blacks brought to the new world, perhaps 500,000 or so. And it was Christians in America who once they gained their independence, began to free slaves, liberate the slaves.
Founding Fathers' Actions To End Slavery And The Northwest Ordinance
They took action to end this social evil. In 1789, George Washington signed the first federal anti slavery piece of legislation, the Northwest ordinance, which forbids slavery in the new territories of the northwest, which would have been Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, those states. And we've looked at this a little in past, podcasts. I may explore it in more detail in the future. But the future truth is the fact of the matter is that the founding fathers of America did more to end slavery than anybody else had done up until that time.
Declaration of Independence Principles And The End Of Slavery
They led the way in ending slavery. Yes. Some of the states did not, you know, the Southern states did not, were not successful in ending it like they were in the Northern states. And we had to fight a battle, a war. But it was the principles in the Declaration of Independence that our Founding fathers gave us that by the way, they got those ideas from the ministers because every major idea in the Declaration you can find a sermon that in decades prior to that that ministers preached regarding these God given rights and liberties.
Christian Influence on Social Transformation: Anti-Slavery and Women's Rights
And so the ideas prevailed. And slavery was ended because of the Civil War. And of course Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. He was involved in that. So the point is Christians were involved in this social issue, bringing about social transformation. They evangelized and educated Indians. They were leaders in giving birth to America, leaders in the anti slavery movement, leaders in the abolition of slavery. They're also leaders in education for women. when Abigail Adams wrote to Jon, remember the women? Well, the founding principles of America did, began as they were, produce fruit within society.
Elevation of Women's Role Through Education and Christian Leadership
They ended slavery, they elevated the role of women. They began to recognize that they need to have access to education and truth as much as anyone. And of course they received that in the churches and homes prior to schools and colleges, being started for women. But when that began to happen in the 1800s, it was Christian women who led the way. Like Frances Willard.
Frances Willard: Christian Leader in Women's Education and Temperance
She was a woman's educator, co founder of the Women's Christian Temperance movement. She participated in evangelical meetings in 1900s, preaching the gospel as well. There's a statue of her in the United States Capitol. She's standing with a little pulpit on which it's engraved for God and home and every land. And so it was Christians leading the way in education for women.
Christian Philanthropy in Education for All and Historical Educators
And Christians were leaders in education for all people because as we've explored in the past, they recognized everybody needs to know the truth for themselves. And so we need to provide a way, make sure that widow, the orphans, everybody, whoever it may be, can have full access to understanding the truth. So Christians acting upon a biblical philosophy of education have led the way in education for all people. Now this has been the case from the first centuries, from origin and Jerome and later Erasmus, around the time of the Protestant Reformation in America, especially Jon Harvard, Jon Cotton, Jon Witherspoon, Noah Webster, Emma Willard, William McGuffey, Booker T. Washington, just to name a few of these Christian Educators motivated by an understanding. I have civil duties to, help make sure everyone is educated.
Founding Principles of Early Colleges: Education Centered on Knowing God
In truth, they wrote books and started schools and led the way. and as we've looked at in past podcasts, the early schools and colleges were started by Christians. Harvard was established in 1636. One of its original rules states, let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider. Well, the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.
Civil Duties: Social Action To Counteract Forces Damaging Society
Princeton, Its original motto is under God's power, she flourishes. And we could look at all the early colle and see Christians were involved in starting these because they recognized this is part of their civil duties, that they took social action. They speak and acted upon the issues of the day. So we need to learn from them. There's many issues that face our nation today that require social action to push back against the forces that would destroy the family, that destroyed, the personhood of men, male and females as well many issues which requires Christians to stand up and take action.
Four Key Actions for Fulfilling Civil Duties: Officials, Education, Action, Laws
So what can I do to fulfill my civil duties? Be involved in selecting godly officials. Two, educate yourself and others. Three, take social action, speak and act on issues of the day. Four, promote and write godly laws.
Ministers as Authors of Great Civil Laws of Liberty Throughout History
Now, the great civil documents of liberty and history have been written by ministers. Those who best know God's law of liberty should be the ones and have been the ones who wrote the greatest civil laws of liberty. We've looked at a few of these in the past. Like Patrick, he wrote Liber Egs legemoisi in the four hundreds, Justinian's code of law, Alfred's code in the eight hundreds, the Magna Carta in 1215 written by Minister Steven. And when we come to early America, our civil laws of liberty were written by Christians, and pastors often were the authors of these.
Early American Laws Rooted in Divine Morality and Ten Commandments
The first laws written in America were laws divine, moral, martial, etc. That were written in Jamestown from 1609 to 1612. And in these laws, the colonists were required to serve God, to attend divine services, to not speak against God or blaspheme holy name, and did not speak or act in any way that would tend to the derision or despite that is the open defiance of God's holy word upon pain of death. now we might argue with their penalty, but their understanding of the importance of imparting the fundamentals of God's moral law. In fact, the first ten of these laws divine, moral, martial, etc.
Promoting Godly Laws: The Pilgrims' Need for Civil Governance
In Jamestown were in essence a recounting of the ten, commandments. So this is something we can do to fulfill our civil duties, promote and write godly, laws we have in the past. And if, something like that is needed today, we should be there. You know, it was the Pilgrims, these devout Christians, who in 1620, when they landed at Cape Cod, they were blown out from under the jurisdiction of the charter that they were sailing under to start a colony in the north part of Virginia. And so when some of the strangers on board board said, well, when we get ashore, we're going to do what we want, the Pilgrims got together in the main.
Mayflower Compact: Christian Self-Government and Laws Based on God's Law
These Christians who had been trained by their pastor how to reason from the Bible to civil affairs as well as theological affairs, they drew up what we call the Mayflower Compact. Having undertaken for the glory of God, an advancement of the Christian faith, do by these presence and solemnly mutually, in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic. And so this was a great step forward in concepts of Christian self government. And these Christian individuals, the Pilgrims and the Puritans and others, they wrote laws based upon God's higher law. In fact, the laws of the Pilgrims, they first began to write them 1630s and had different editions.
Massachusetts Body of Liberties: Reverend Ward's Biblical Legal Framework
In the 1671 book of General Laws. The introduction states how laws are so far good and wholesome as by how much they are derived from and agreeable to the ancient platform of God's law. So in other words, they said, we're looking to God's law as the standard for our civil laws, because that makes good law. And if your laws violate God's law, they're not good laws and we don't want them. It was a minister, Reverend Nathaniel Ward, who wrote the Massachusetts Body of Liberties in 1641, which is the precursor to our Bill of Rights.
William Penn's Charter of Pennsylvania: A Government Based on Christian Faith
Now, to Reverend Ward, the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible encompassing the law, was the basis for its criminal code. And then in case of the defect of a law, in any particular case, the standard was the word of God. They had a series of laws, but they said, if something comes up and we don't have a law concerning that, the standard is the word of God. So it's clear Christians were involved in civil affairs. They were writing the laws and they looked to the Bible as the source of law.
William Blackstone's View: Civil Government Governed by Creator's Laws
That Quaker evangelist William Penn wrote the charter of Pennsylvania, the government of that colony of Pennsylvania. And it reflects and based upon biblical Christian view of life. his whole action in giving birth to the colony was motivated by his Christian faith. When he was given a charter for Pennsylvania in 1681, he said, My God that has given it to me through many difficulties will I believe, bless, and make it the seed of a nation. And if you were to read his frame of government at Pennsylvania, adopted April 25, 1682, you would see that desire to follow and please and honor God is reflected in his understanding of the purpose of government and the ends of government.
The Law of Nature Dictated by God, Superior to All Human Laws
Why do we have civil government? We've mentioned in past podcasts William Blackstone. He's the English jurist who wrote commentaries of the laws of England, first published in 1748. He had a biblical view of law. In that document, he wrote, man considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his creator, for he is entirely a dependent being.
Law of Nature: God's Revelation in Creation and Conscience
And consequently, as man depends upon, absolutely upon his maker for everything, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his Maker's will. This will of his Maker is called the law of nature. You heard that expression before in the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson did not invent the phrase law of nature. It was a well established phrase that, had a well established meaning.
God's Eternal Laws: The Immutable Standard for Good and Evil
Blackstone is explaining that, that the law of nature is really the revelation of God and his creation in the consc? Of men. Then he goes on to write, these laws laid down by God are the eternal immutable laws of good and evil. This law of nature, dictated by God himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries and at all times.
Biblical View of Law Produced America's Great Liberties: Equal Justice Under God's Law
No human laws or any validity contrary to this. So any law contrary to God's higher law is no law at all. This is the view that those in early America, as Christians, many pastors who wrote our civil laws of liberty had this biblical view of law. That's what produced, our great liberties that we possess. Because as is engraved on the front of the Supreme Court, it says equal justice under law.
Equal Justice Under God's Law: Respect for All Created in His Image
But that concept is only true under God's law. There's only equal justice for all men under God's law, because God's law respects everyone. Everyone is created in the image of God. Everyone has, equal standing before the creator of all things. Many lawmakers in history have been men.
Man-Decreed Laws vs. God's Law: The Foundation for True Justice
And that law is emanated from the men. Well, I should say from the ruler, like Ahmed or Caesar or, or, Pharaoh, whoever it may be. They've had law, but it's a law decreed by man. And those walls do not provide equal justice. Only God's law provides equal justice.
Fulfilling Civil Duties: Establishing God's Law as the Standard for National Liberty
Blackstone the founders of America understood, if we're going to have liberty and freedom, protection of life, liberty and property, we need to set up the rule of God's law as the standard for our life in our nation. So we're talking about what can we do to fulfill our civil duties, be involved in selecting godly officials, educate yourself and others, take social action, speak and act on issues of the day. 4. Promote and write godly laws. A fifth thing we can do is to stand upon our, our legal rights.
Standing on Legal Rights: Apostle Paul's Example of Asserting Civil Liberties
First, we need to understand what our legal rights are. Remember the Apostle Paul? He was a Roman citizen and when his rights were violated by certain, authorities, Acts 16, he was thrown in jail. When they found out that he was a Roman citizen who had rights under Roman law, his local officials were very nervous and they came and said, well, you can go now, Paul kind of secretly and he said, no indeed, you need to come here and apologize because you violated my rights as a Roman citizen. Then in the Book of Acts, last two chapters of the Book of Acts, Paul appealed to Caesar because his civil rights were going to be violated.
William Penn's Fight for Jury Rights and Understanding Civil Liberties
He said, no, I have certain rights. He knew the rights. He stood upon those rights and the whole course of his later years were impacted because Paul considered his civil liberties a sacred cause. William Penn, we've talked about him in a past podcast and how he was instrumental in helping secure the rights of juries to issue their verdict without fear of persecution. William Penn argued, and many times he went to court and thrown in jail.
Obeying God Rather Than Man: Resisting Civil Leaders Who Violate God-Given Rights
But he knew his civil rights and liberty. He studied them and could quote them page numbers on the rights that he possessed as a British citizen. So he understood his civil liberties. He considered them a sacred cause. He acted upon them and brought great blessing to mankind because of that.
Fulfilling Christian Duties: Transforming Society Through Understanding God-Given Rights
So we can do that as well. We need to stand upon our legal rights and fight in that arena as well. Because Acts 5:29 tells us we must obey God rather than man. And so if man, if civil leaders violate our God given rights, then we have a duty to resist. We need to understand our God given rights.
The Gospel's Call for Societal Transformation: Fulfilling Christian Civil Duties
And then we need to understand, in our nation at this time in our history, you know, what those rights are and how to fight those rights because we are actually being faithful, to fulfill our Christian duties. This is part of the work of the gospel. We're not called just to go and preach the gospel and tell people how to get saved. Certainly we're to do that, but we're to, bring transformation to the society at large. We're to transform men m and we're to transform, nations as we explored when we began to start this series of podcasts, how Christians can fulfill their civil duties.
Knowing and Defending God-Given Rights for Personal and Societal Benefit
So we need to understand this is part of what we're called to do. To be faithful servants of God, we need to know our God given rights and liberties. We need to stand upon them and fight in that arena because it's not just for us. Not only will we benefit from our fulfilling our civil duties, but others will as well. They won't have to go through confiscation of their business and shutting down their business, confiscation of their property because they won't make, cakes for homosexual weddings or whatever it may be.
Recap of Christian Civil Duties and Preview of Next Podcast
We need to stand and fight because we're being faithful to God and fulfilling duties that we have. Well, there are other civil duties that we have that I do want to explore and I'm, going to pick up some of those in our next podcast. So we are looking at how Christians can fulfill their civil duties, how we should be elect godly officials, educate ourselves and others, take social action, promote and right godly laws, and stand upon our legal rights. And we'll take up this same topic and subject next week as well. So in the meantime, if you want to learn more, Visit our website, providencefoundation.com we have many resources free for you to read, to view, to look at our newest resources.
Resources for Further Learning: Providence Foundation and Educated for Liberty
The film Educated for Liberty, can be accessed, for [email protected] you can also find it on our homepage, a panel on our homepage providencefoundation.com so I'd encourage you to take advantage of that. So thanks for joining us this week. Hope you can come back as we, continue to explore what can I, I do to fulfill my civil duties. Well, God bless you.
In this episode of America's Providential History, host Stephen McDowell continues the discussion on how Christians can actively fulfill their civil duties. He emphasizes the importance of selecting godly officials, educating oneself and others on biblical governance, and taking social action. The conversation also highlights the historical role of early Americans in the abolition of slavery and their commitment to education and social transformation. Join us as we explore the profound impact of Christian principles on American history and the call to action for today’s believers.
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