Category Archives: Sermons of the Founding Era

Episode 366: Reviewing Doug Wilson’s Primer on Christian Nationalism From the Mirrors of History

In preparation for this week, I was rereading ‘The Pulpit Of The American Revolution: Or, The Sermons Of The Period Of 1776, With A Historical Introduction, Notes, And Illustrations. By John Wingate Thornton, A.M.,’ and the Vlog of DougChristian Nationalism Wilson’s Primer on Christian Nationalism popped up on my video feed. Well, this really got my hair curled as I listened to Pastor Wilson echo the words of John Wingate Thornton’s Preface and Introduction to his work on these founding sermons.

I do not intend to do a frame by frame review of Doug Wilson’s Primer on Christian Nationalism but I do intend to take you through the mirrors of history regarding those reflections of then for the solutions of our present. I do expect that you shall review the Vlog of the Primer on Christian Nationalism after either listening to this programs podcast or watching the video.

Confessions and the Loss Guidance of Continuity

I had to take a short moment to comment on the references that were made in the Primer on Christian Nationalism regarding the American changes in the Westminster Confession. What I can attest to from having participated in various denominations, including charismatic ones, is that there is a loss of guiding continuity in what was Christian participation in government.

To me, after a deep study of the Reformation, the comparison of the Westminster Confession by Pastor Wilson hits the nail on the head for bureaucrats and elected persons at any level of government. The following is what I believe is a very important, the missing principles that once were inculcated in our Founding era where in the Westminster Confession. For the greater part of modern Christianity — This is not taught or for that matter, any of the foundational Confessions are not taught. Continue reading

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Filed under Political Theology, Radio Program Archives, Sermons of the Founding Era

The Government of Christ (1738)

The Government of Christ (1738)

Link to the sermon

Introduction from the Belcher Society:

[John Webb (1687-1750), The Government of Christ (1738). Preached before Governor Jonathan Belcher (1682-1757) during his first governorship of the royal colonies of Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire (1730-1741).

John Webb’s election day sermon briefly relates the role of God’s providence in the Puritan establishment of New England. Webb also mentions the Great Awakening of the 1730’s that was described by Jonathan Edwards. Continue reading

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Sermon On the MA Constitution by Samuel Cooper (1780)

Sermon On the MA Constitution by Samuel Cooper (1780)

Rev. Samuel CooperThis Sermon On the MA Constitution was delivered by the request of the Massachusetts newly constituted State government. The occasion was the election of the Government by the sovereign people of this state. Sam Adams wrote a significant portion of this Constitution as well as did John Adam with the full committee that drafted it.

The Rev. Doctor Samuel Cooper was chosen to deliver the inaugural sermon before both the citizenry and the elected. This call to preach at this occasion was most interesting since – ‘Cooper did not use his pulpit as a political tool, but stayed with well-preached sermons based on the Bible.’ Continue reading

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The Duty of Magistrates (1779)

Samuel Stillman, The Duty of Magistrates (1779)

[Tom N. NOTE: There are few, very few pastors that will preach like Samuel Stillman. There are fewer that Samuel Stillmanwill engage in the political arena like Rev. Stillman. There is few to none in Christian education, be they seminary or Christian college/university that even teach these Foundational sermons. Hence we have the political elite and political parties that are dysfunctional with no intent to return to the Foundational Principles. As we see, the new 2021 federal administration is ‘Cancelling’ our history and rewriting it according to ideologies contrary to those spoken and written in this sermon and other Foundational text.

Can you remotely imagine a sermon of this content, authority and direction being preached before a State or Federal court let alone a Supreme Court?] The reality is that Magistrates no longer understand their Duty to God nor to the People.]

Hear the full Introduction at this Link

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The Character of a Good Ruler (1694)

Samuel Willard – The Character of a Good Ruler (1694) Samuel Willard

My Thoughts

Before I make reference to the text of ‘The Character of a Good Ruler’ and take you to the bio information about Samuel Willard, I wanted to highly recommend that you shard this sermon with elected persons, judges and non-elected bureaucrats. This sermon is as pertinent in our present time as it was at the end of the 17th Century. As we see clearly in ALL administrations at all levels of governance particularly over the last one hundred years, these Characters of a Good Ruler have been and are wanting.

With that, for my part, the several takeaway’s are:

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Stand alarm’d, O ye Americans! An ORATION upon the BEAUTIES of LIBERTY

Stand alarm’d, O ye Americans!

Gaspee Affair

Original picture found: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/4-gaspee-affair-1772-science-source.html

An ORATION upon the BEAUTIES of LIBERTY;

Or, The Essential RIGHTS of the AMERICANS

A call to ‘Stand alarm’d, O ye Americans!‘ Is a sermon that can be seen directly applicable to our 21st century political leaders and situation with one caveat – In 1772, America, the Citizenry and a good portion of the political class, heard and maybe even understood the truth within the First Great Awakening.

The principles in the sermon should have been preached from 1772 each and every year to this very day. The BEAUTIES of LIBERTY are not imaginary but established in the reality of who King Jesus is not king James or a governor, president, congress, judges or bureaucrats.

This sermon is directed to the political elite, the political class, the king, Parliament and yes, the Citizenry. I believe that every politician and bureaucrat needs to hear this sermon since they are culpable in the charges laid forth in this sermon. BTW, the fundamental complaint and charges are timeless when evil reigns. Continue reading

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A SERMON, CONTAINING, Scriptural Instructions to Civil Rulers, and all Free-born Subjects.

A SERMON, CONTAINING, Scriptural Instructions to Civil Rulers, and all Free-born Subjects.

By Samuel Sherwood, A. M. Pastor of a Church of Christ in FAIRFIELD.

A sermon, containing Scriptural instructions to civil rulers, and all free-born subjects. In which the principles of sound policy and good government are established and vindicated; and some doctrines advanced and zealously propagated by New-England Tories, are considered and refuted.

Delivered on the public fast, August 31, 1774. :

With an address to the freemen of the colony.

In the pdf of the sermon to include: Also, An APPENDIX, Stating the heavy Grievances the Colonies labour under from several late Acts of the British Parliament, and shewing what we have just Reason to expect the Consequences of these Measures will be. Continue reading

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Filed under Political Theology, Sermons of the Founding Era