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Chapter 31: Cotton Mather Smith.

The quick picture of Cotton Mather Smith: — His Birth And Parentage. — A Teacher Among The Indians. — Studies Theology. — Is Settled at Sharon, Conn. — Influence Of The Clergy Of Connecticut In Bringing About The Revolution. — His View Of The Struggle Between The Colonies And Mother Country. — The Part He Took In It. — Patriotism of his Congregation. — Is made Chaplain, and Marches to Ticonderoga. — His Devotion To The Sick. — Seized With The Camp Fever.— Returns Home. — Invasion of Burgoyne. — His Sermon just before the Final Victory at Saratoga. — Thrilling Scene. — His Character. — His Death.

Cotton Mather Smith is one of the great examples of a Foundational Christian Pastor who exemplifies the ‘extensibility’ of the Reformation Gospel.

What is most striking in this chapter is the detail description of the Clergy involvement in participating in direct social and political governance. They were highly regarded as the foundation of Americana.

Cotton Mather Smith was active in developing a congregation that could live out the Biblical Gospel in every aspect of life including the understanding of true ‘liberty’ and that it was worth fighting for. He was predictive in what would become the Revolution. He was a participant in it happening. He was an encouragement when times where gloomy and he foresaw and outcome that even he was shocked by.

His life was of great service, preaching and example. This is a must read chapter which, I recommend reading more than once and then searching out the other writing by Cotton Mather Smith.

The Book

The Chaplains and Clergy of the Revolution is the Historical Fact that Christianity (see the link at the end) is the root of our American Heritage and a key factor in the inspiration of the Revolution. God governance is God’s governance and the Citizenry understood this. Those that were Chaplains and Clergy were not just religious mouth pieces. NO, They were warrior Patriots that spoke first the Word of God and then the musket or sword.

I am reading this book as if to my Grandchildren. My great hope is that parents and Grandparents would do the same. I hope and pray more that Pastors would be in these tumultuous times as the same that these Founding Clergy and Chaplains were.

Let us all learn and act according to the Blessing and examples they set for US in our Foundation.

https://ia902704.us.archive.org/25/items/clergyo00head/clergyo00head.pdf

Table of Contents:

You can find the other chapters of the book by following the highlighted link to the Table of Contents here.