Political Sermons From the Pastors in the Founding Era

We have been told for so many years that the church should stay out of the political
arena. Most of this talk today comes from the church itself. In all the research that I have
done over the last ten years concerning America’s Christian heritage I have found no evidence
that this was the mindset of the Founders nor of the pastors from the establishing of the
Colonies in the early 1600’s.
When looking at our Founding documents, the Articles of Confederation, Declaration of
Independence, The Constitution and the Bill of Rights what we see is a culmination of what the
pastors had been preaching in this nation from the time that they first set foot on the soil of
North America. From that time until the beginning of the Revolution and through the
Revolution they preached about how government should be run. I have received many emails
from people who think I am calling for a theocracy in America. I never have. But I have called
for a return to the values that made America the greatest nation the world has ever seen and
those values just happen to be the precepts and directives given to us from the Scriptures.
This is an undeniable fact.
In 1954 after a corrupt election in Texas where Lyndon Johnson won his Senate seat by
rigging the votes, the word started to come out concerning this. Most of the opposition was
coming from non-profits so he added an amendment to an IRS bill that removed non-profits
from the political arena by not allowing them to endorse or oppose any political candidate. This
was the first time in American history that the church was not allowed to be involved in the
political arena. They are still allowed some input but an actual endorsement or opposition to a
candidate has not been allowed.
A few years ago the Liberty Council began what they call Pulpit Initiative Sunday where
the third Sunday in September of an election year a pastor will stand in the pulpit and endorse
a candidate, record the whole thing and then send it to the IRS. This has been going on for
about five years and the IRS has refused to sue any of them or try to take away their 501(c)3.
Last year they admitted that they really didn’t have the authority to do so, they have just used
it as a threat to keep the churches under their control for all these years. Remember that the
First Amendment says that Congress shall make no law ‘prohibiting the free exercise thereof’.
So the Amendment that took the church out in 1954 is actually unconstitutional and they knew
it, but the church never challenged it until recently.
What we will study for the next couple of weeks are sermons before and during the
Founding Era where the pastors would give the parishioners directives according to the Word
of God as to how they should vote. By the way, these election sermons were the most popular
of all the sermons with the Colonists. These sermons will show the true ideals of the Colonists
concerning the commingling of their Christian doctrines and their political ideals. You will see
that they firmly believed that there was a direct connection between God’s laws and the laws

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Supreme Ruler and the laws that man established to govern himself being derived from His
laws. James Wilson, the Father of American Jurisprudence stated: “All [laws], however, may
be arranged in two different classes. 1) Divine. 2) Human. . . But it should always be
remembered that this law, natural or revealed, made for men or for nations, flows from the
same Divine source: it is the law of God. . . Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon
the authority of the law that which is Divine.” 1(Emphasis added) Our early students of law
were not only required to attend law school but they also attended seminaries because Wilson
believed how can man judge man unless man knows how God judges man. This is how Charles
Finney was saved in 1821 doing his religious studies for his law degree.
One should also note that the first colony established in America, Jamestown, that came
over on the Mayflower established the very reason why they had traversed virtually unknown
territory to begin a new life in a new land that was completely foreign to the travelers from
the European continent. This was called the Mayflower Compact and it forever defined for
history the intent of establishing settlements in America.
The Mayflower Compact
"In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our
dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King,
Defender of the Faith, e&.
Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the
Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of
Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of
another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better
Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to
enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and
Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good
of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.
In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of
November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the
eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620." (Emphasis added)
Notice what their intent was - Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and
Advancement of the Christian Faith – Revisionist historians simply ignore this document as
well as all the history that confirms this statement.
The first sermon we will look at is one by Jonathan Mayhew. Mayhew graduated from
Harvard in 1744 and received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of
Aberdeen in 1749. He was one of the front runners in opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765. As
a matter of fact virtually all of the opposition leaders of the Stamp Act were pastors. He was
also one of the most influential pastors that keep the fire of revolution burning in the hearts
of the Colonists. John Adams stated that there were two ministers in particular that were

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extremely ardent and influential in awakening a revival of American principles and feelings, Rev.
Dr. Jonathan Mayhew and the Rev. Dr. Cooper.2
Before we look at this particular sermon we should review the preface Mayhew wrote
concerning this particular message and how it is biblically directed at the politics of the day.
" all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness." 'Why, then, should not those parts of Scripture which relate to civil
government be examined and explained from the desk (pulpit), as well as others ? Obedience
to the civil magistrate is a Christian duty ; and if so, why should not the nature, grounds, and
extent of it be considered in a Christian assembly ? Besides, if it be said that it is out of
character for a Christian minister to meddle with such a subject, this censure will at last fall
upon the holy apostles. They write upon it in their epistles to Christian churches ; and surely it
cannot be deemed either criminal or impertinent to attempt an explanation of their doctrine.”
‘Civil tyranny is usually small in its beginning, like " the drop of a bucket," 'till at length, like a
mighty torrent, or the raging waves of the sea, it bears down all before it, and deluges whole
countries and empires. Thus it is as to ecclesiastical tyranny also — the most cruel, intolerable,
and impious of any. From small beginnings, " it exalts itself above all that is called God and that
is worshipped." People have no security against being unmercifully priest-ridden but by keeping
all imperious bishops, and other clergymen who love to " lord it over God's heritage," from
getting their foot into the stirrup at all.^ Let them be once fairly mounted, and their
"beasts, the laity," may prance and flounce about to no purpose ; and they will at length be so
jaded and hacked by these reverend jockeys, that they will not even have spirits enough to
complain that their backs are galled, or, like Balaam's ass, to " rebuke the madness of the
prophet." 3
Next week we will look at the body of this sermon learning just what the pastors
preached concerning the politics of the day in 1749.

Foot Notes

1. James Wilson, The Works of the Honorable James Wilson, Bird Wilson, editor (Philadelphia: Lorenzo
Press, 1804), Vol. I, pp. 103-105, “Of the General Principles of Law and Obligation.”
2. Bring America Back To Her Religious Roots, Roger Anghis (Createspace 2010), p.30
3. Pulpit of the American Revolution, (The Federalist Papers Project), pp. 47-50

© Pastor Roger Anghis