The [Warren Baptist] association which met this year, 1775, at
Warren, 'agreed that our agent and committee be desired to draw up a letter to
all the Baptist societies on this continent, stating the true nature and
importance of religious liberty, and signifying that we think that a general
meeting of delegates from our societies in every colony is expedient, as soon
as may be, to consult upon the best means and methods of obtaining deliverance
from various encroachments which have been made upon that liberty, and to
promote the general welfare of our churches, and of all God's people throughout
the land; and to desire that our friends in each Colony would communicate their
sentiments concerning the design, and time and place of meeting, with all
convenient speed.' In accordance with
this direction the agent prepared an address, portions of which are subjoined:
"To all Christian
people in the American Colonies, and especially to those who are of the Baptist
denomination: —
"While the united inhabitants of
this vast continent are appealing to heaven against the open attempts that have
been made against their liberties, it is surely of great importance that we all
regard that law of heaven: Make straight paths for your feet. And can we do so, if we are not as earnest for
the removal of oppression from among ourselves, as we are to repel its
encroachments from abroad? An ingenious
author well observes, —' That the power of decreeing rites and ceremonies is a
power absolutely indefinite, and of the very same kind with those claims which
in things of a civil nature always give the greatest alarm. A tax of a penny is a trifle; but the power of
imposing that tax, is never considered as a trifle, because it may imply
absolute servitude in all who submit to it.
Our ancestors, the old Puritans, had the same merit in opposing the
imposition of the Surplice that Hampden had in opposing the levying of
ship-money. In neither case was it the thing itself they
objected to, so much as the authority that enjoined it, and the danger of the
precedent. And it appears to us that
the man who is as tenacious of his religious as he is of his civil liberty,
will oppose them both with equal firmness." And is not the power of levying money for
religious ministers as dangerous to liberty, as the power of decreeing rites
and ceremonies? Yea, more so; for they
who can command the purse, either in Church or State, can usually carry the day
in other affairs. * * * As the Baptist churches in the Massachusetts Colony
have been brought to view things in this light, many of their elders and
brethren at a meeting in Warren, September 13, 1776, desired us, the
subscribers, to write to all the societies of our denomination in the American
Colonies upon the subject of religious liberty, and to signify to them that a
general meeting of delegates from our societies in each colony, we think, is
very expedient, as soon as may be, to consult upon the best means and methods
for obtaining and establishing full and equal religious liberty throughout this
continent, and to promote the general welfare of all; so that truth and peace
may prevail, and glory dwell in our land. And to request our friends in each colony to
communicate their sentiments of the design and of the time and place of
meeting, with all convenient speed. * * * Our Lord and Saviour has let us know
as plainly as words can express, that his kingdom is not of this world; but
that it is founded in and supported by the truth. And he says: 'Every one that is of the truth,
heareth my voice.' Neither can anything
be true religion that is not a voluntary obedience to him. The evident design of civil government is, to
arm particular men with the sword, enforced by the power of the whole politic
body, to restrain and punish such as violate the rules of justice and equity,
to guard the civil peace; and so to be ministers of God for good to all the
community. But for them to empower the
majority of any town or place, to judge for their neighbors, who shall be
teachers and guides to their souls, and to force those who do not choose them
to support them, is going as much out of their jurisdiction as ever the Parliament
of Britain did in taxing America. And
how can we answer it, either to posterity or to our great and impartial Judge,
if we do not exert ourselves as honestly and earnestly for the defence and
establishment of religious liberty as we do for that which is only of a civil
and worldly nature? We say, as honestly
and earnestly; but not with the same weapons. For Jesus says: 'If my kingdom were of this
world, my servants would fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but
now is my kingdom not from hence. To
this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should
bear witness unto the truth.'
"That we may all
in our stations bear our proper witness unto the truth, and against the
corruptions and oppressions of the present day, is the hearty desire and prayer
of your servants for Jesus' sake.
Isaac
Backus, Nathan Plimpton, Asaph Fletcher. Per Order." 1
Lord willing in
my next post we will look once again at the works of God in the days of our
fathers.
Christ, not man, is King!
Dale
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