This week we conclude our series with a study of Political Protestantism. All of our previous lessons point to a concept known as political Protestantism, which we will study at our meeting on Tuesday.
So far, we have learned of
John Wycliffe, famous for the statement, "government of the people, by the people, and for the people."
Jan Huss, burned at the stake for concern about abuses by the Pope and the Holy Roman emperor.
Martin Luther, who believed that Christians have a right to bear arms and disobey corrupt leaders.
The Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos (Defense Against Tyrants).
The Magna Carta, which avers that the Nation's laws and rulers must be subject to God's Law.
Oliver Cromwell, who maintained that kings are under the law and are answerable to it.
Lastly, that our laws are based on the laws of Nature and the laws of God.
Date: Tuesday February 25, 2025
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Location: Miamisburg Library 545 E Linden Ave, Miamisburg, OH 45342
Call Scott Taylor for details (937) 554-8116
Each week we have reviewed the previous presentation, watched the current weeks video and discussed. This is the history that those in power prefer that you do not know. This is why Wycliffe translated the bible into middle English in the 14th century.
Past meeting summaries
February 18, 2025 Thomas Paine & The Treaty of Tripoli
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet "Common Sense" argues that following the Biblical model is necessary and sensible for Christians, both in the colonies and among Europeans. Widely read in the colonies, "Common Sense" helped shift American sentiment toward independence
In contrast, The Treaty of Tripoli of 1796, written by Joel Barlow, declared in Article 11 that America’s government was not founded on Christian principles. Therefore, religious opinions should never interrupt the harmony existing between Tripoli, a Muslim nation, and America, the nation identified by Thomas Paine as a Christian nation. Article 11 was widely condemned by the founding fathers who felt it was trampling on the Cross of Jesus Christ and the true history of America.
Tuesday February 11, 2025 with laws of Nature, Laws of God
Sir Edward Coke 1552 – 1634, is said to be responsible for at least four of the amendments in the American Bill of Rights. Often credited to Abraham Lincoln, Coke coined the phrase, “of the people, for the people, and by the people.” His influence on American policy has been recognized through the years. For example, in 1957, Catherine Drinker Bowen wrote,
"The fathers of American independence founded their case on “that wonderful Edward Coke, masterful, masterless man, who made two English kings bow to the common law."
Sir Edward Coke used scriptural principles to establish legal precedent, such as the right to use force of weapons to protect life and property. He believed the Bible gave every man the right to protect all that belongs to him. Tracing this concept to the Book of Exodus, chapter 22, verse two, we read, “If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed...”
Coke later incorporated his arguments into what is considered one of the three great documents of English law, one of which is The Petition of Right of 1628. The Petition of Right reaffirmed the principles of the Magna Carta to protect the rights of the common man as well as of the nobility. The New World Encyclopedia informs us that "Coke is best known for his revolutionary interpretation of the Magna Carta which he applied to all subjects equally." It goes on to say, "Coke's works serve not only as the definitive legal texts ... of British common law, they also provide a foundation for the system of checks and balances enshrined in the United States Constitution."
During the American Revolution, it was understood that this principal applied to King George and to Parliament in England. Lacking authority to do so, Parliament enacted unjust laws for the colonies. Having a charter from King George, giving the founders autonomy on the American continent, the colonists repeatedly appealed to the king. The colonists appeals were ignored. King George refused to stop the tyranny of Parliament, in spite of his expected interposition on behalf of the colonists against the renegade Parliament. According to Patrick Henry, this was the cause that led to a bloody war.
The legal concept of God’s natural law, as defined by the respected legal influencer, Sir William Blackstone, is contained in the opening words of the Declaration of Independence.
In 1841 John Quincy Adams wrote,
"In the Declaration of Independence, the laws of Nature are announced and appealed to as identical with the laws of Nature's God and as the foundation of all obligatory human laws."
The law of nature was the impetus for standing up against tyranny in the colonies.
Tuesday February 4, 2025 with Oliver Cromwell and Lex Rex
Without Oliver Cromwell, the Parliament of England would not exist. In his day, the king had the power to close Parliament at will, rendering it more an advisory council than an executive power. Known as the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell was considered one of the most influential figures of history, although he was one of the most divisive.
In 1640, Cromwell served as a member of Parliament, a dedicated Puritan whose beliefs and thought processes were shaped by the Bible, guiding him in dealing with issues of law and politics. In the English Civil War, Cromwell distinguished himself as a great calvary commander and headed the parliamentary forces. Each soldier was issued a pocket Bible and a collection of verses that addressed trusting God in times of war. Oliver Cromwell and his movement influenced the overthrow of Charles I who, eventually, was tried, was condemned as a traitor, and was beheaded, demonstrating that the king is subject to the law and is answerable to it. The English civil war, one of the most dramatic events in the events in the nation’s history, clearly influenced the American Revolution.
Presbyterian minister Samuel Rutherford published a book called “Lex Rex,” meaning "The law Is King" Rutherford's argument was "... that not only does the magistrate lose his authority when he violates the law, but that it is a right and perhaps even a duty for the people to resist such violations."
Tuesday January 28, 2025 Magna Carta
Runnymede, England, in 1215, earned the label "Birthplace of Democracy," when a group of armed barons forced their despotic King John to sign the Magna Carta, or Great Charter of Freedoms. The document not only guaranteed the protection of citizens' rights, but it also strictly limited the arbitrary authority of the renegade king.
The Magna Carta came from Christian thought. The Christian Institute of the United Kingdom wrote,
"Magna Carta assumes that the Nation's laws and Rulers should be subject to God's Law. The bible teaches there is a law written on the heart, the conscience which acts as a restraint on human conduct, though it cannot save and is subject to the influence of sin."
Both Church and state fall under God's authority and serve as ministers of God. The Church ministers grace; the state ministers justice. In 1687 William Penn published "Excellent Privilege of Liberty and Property," a reprint of the American edition of the Magna Carta, whose principles compelled him to write,
"If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God and to do that, thou must be ruled by Him."
Patriots like Paul Revere and Sam Adams referred to the great charter in defense of their rights as Englishmen, rights that were being violated by king George III. The revolution demanded that England uphold the common law that had been agreed to for generations.
Tuesday January 21, 2025 The Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos
Vindiciae contra tyrannos (meaning: "Defences [of liberty] against tyrants"). President John Adams in his writings acknowledged that one of the most influential documents during the American revolution was the french tract called the Vindiciae Contra tyrannos. or a defense of liberty against tyrants. It was written by a French protestant who was known as Huguenot who was a survivor of the survivors of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre on August 24, 1572. Thousands of French protestants were mass murdered at the instigation of the Catholic queen Catherine de'Medici.
The work proceeds through four questions concerning the response of the people to their king. The first two questions concern whether a people are bound to obey or are able to resist their king when he breaks the divine law. The third and longest question considers whether the people can resist a king on the grounds that he is destroying the commonwealth.
The answer to each of these questions is an affirmative. The work lays the groundwork for justifying popular resistance. It does stop short of inviting any individual to judge a king. Rather, individuals could only take up arms if they are led by an inferior magistrate.
This is part of the video series "The True Christian History of America". All Meetings start at 7:00 PM and end at 8:15 PM
Tuesday January 14, 2025 Martin Luther and the right to bear arms.
Jon Huss prophesied about the coming of Martin Luther. You silence the goose but 100 years hence, a swan will arise that you will not be able to silence. Many believed Luther was the fulfillment of the Huss prophesy. Luther is considered the most influential individual in the history of Western Civilization. During his life time, 80 percent of published material in Europe were Martin Luther's writings. In 1521 Luther was called to the Diet of Worms to answer for his teachings. At the Diet of Worms, Luther declared
"Unless I am convicted by scripture and plain reason,, I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils for they have contradicted each other. My conscience is captive to the word of God. I cannot, and I will not recant anything. For to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God ... Amen"
This changed the world and laid the groundwork for modern western civilization.
In effect, Christians should not obey corrupt leaders. He also taught that the commandment that thou shall not commit murder also means that you need to protect the innocent. In effect Christians should be armed so they can protect their families and communities corrupt authorities. This laid the foundation to the right to bear arms.
January 9, 2025 Jan Huss and freedom of religion.
We learned about Jan Huss (1369 - 1414) who embraced Wycliff's teachings. He was a righteous man and was concerned about the abuse of the Pope and the Holy Roman empire. For this he was burned at the stake for being a heretic. His death created the movement since he was considered to be a righteous man which prepared the way for the future revolutions that lead to the freedom of speech and religion that later took root in the American revolution.
December 12, 2024 Wycliffe, The Bible and Government.
We learned about John Wycliffe (1328 to 1384) who authored the phrase "government of the people, by the people, and for the people". Wycliffe was concerned that the church controlled the people by keeping them ignorant and that the only way for the common people to have power was to know the truth by reading the Holly Scriptures. He wrote that "Leaders are disqualified by corruption and they should be resisted if they are corrupt". Wycliff translated the scriptures from Latin into middle English so the common man could read it, learning the truth.
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