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The American Revolution and the The Black Robed Regiment
It is time for You to act, O Lord,
For they have regarded Your law as void.
-Psalm 119.126
“The American revolution occurred in a religious atmosphere...historical truth that religion was a fundamental cause of the American Revolution.”
-Carl Bridenbaugh historian
“The righteous rebellion began in the churches before the streets of Boston...in 1776 mixing religion and politics was a common as drinking smuggled tea. The colonial clergy created the religious climate that made it possible for an American revolution to take place.”
-James Adams author journalist
The Bible and minsters, more than anything else, inspired patriotism to the revolution. In the great book by James P Byrd Sacred Scripture Sacred war the bible and the American Revolution Oxford u Press 2013, the author looks at 17,000 biblical citations, and over 500 sources from the colonies to find what was the major motivator for patriots in the revolution, the Bible was hands down the top motivator. The clergy had the most impact on how Americans viewed the war.
“The bible was accepted as the ultimate authority on economics and politics no less than on religion and morals.”
-Historian Christopher hill
As Byrd said “preachers turned their pulpits into weapons” igniting rebellion in the colonies to British tyrannical governmental policies. Pastors most often sited examples such as David, Deborah and Jael and the curse of Meroz in Judges 4-5, Moses and Exodus 14-15, Dut 32, 1 kings 12, 2 Sam 10.12, Jer 48.10 and many others as justification for the revolution. Further
“Rehoboam justified rebellion against a king....if any government violated the precepts of god and liberty, the people were obliged to rebel.”
-James P Byrd Sacred Scripture Sacred war the bible and the American Revolution Oxford u Press 2013
God ordained government as the family and church, why than would he tell Christians to stay out of government? The pastors in America understood that tyranny at any level, left unchecked, would grow to tyranny against the church, and finally the gospel [we are seeing this in America today]. If the state is elevated above the family and church, it will in time wipe out those opposing god ordained institutions. That is why centralized government always attack the family and the church. It should not be allowed outside its biblical guidelines. If the state becomes the authority instead of the bible on what the state can do, than because there is no higher authority, than the government thinks itself god. There is nothing it cannot touch. It can take away any right from anyone. It thinks it must not just solve all the ills in the country, it must control all modes of behavior and set its own standards. It will regulate the lives to conform to its own image that is beneficial to itself, resulting in more power to itself. People became servants of the state rather than the government servants of its citizens. That is also why when government grows, people become less christian. When liberty grows, people become more christian. See
Government vs. God? People are less religious when government is bigger, research says
“It was the clergy who made the revolution meaningful for most common people.”
-Gordon S Wood The Great Republic history of the American People
“Colonist revered the bible...not only as a moral and religious guide but also as an authority on warfare.”
-James P Byrd Sacred Scripture Sacred war the bible and the American Revolution Oxford u Press 2013
This is in drastic contrast to the founders who's view was Governments are instituted among men to protect those unalienable rights that come from a higher authority than man, that is god. The founders constantly acknowledged that biblical higher power that they were accountable to. Man was not the ultimate authority in fact all men were created equal. This philosophy that reorganizes a creator, produces a limited government. Government is not the ultimate authority but is to protect all citizens god given liberty as described in the bible. It also believes that man should alter and abolish a government that is destructive to those rights of the people.
“Pastors were the leaders of the revolution”
-David Barton The American Heritage Series
“Not only were minsters responsible for this kind of political speech, but they were leaders in it.”
-James P Byrd Sacred Scripture Sacred war the bible and the American Revolution Oxford u Press 2013
“England sent her armies to compel submission, and the colonists appealed to haven.”
-John Thornton historian 1860
The black robed regiment was what the British during the American revolution called pastors who would lead their congregations out on the field of battle in their black robes. The British blamed the revolution on the pastors in America and treated them worse when captured compared to a regular soldier. They were blamed for leading the recruiting, and igniting the war. Churches were targeted and burned across America or converted into horse stables. When the British landed in NYC of the 19 churches 10 were burned and 9 were desecrated. King George said of the revolution “This is nothing more than a Presbyterian rebellion.” A British major said to colonial prisoners “It is your...damned religion of this country that ruined this country....damn your religion.”
3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
-Ezekiel 33 3-6
The bible was read not just as a salvation only or a “spiritual” book, but as a practical book that was the model for all aspects of life, education, law, morality, politics, culture etc The pastors of early America saw themselves as shepherds of gods people and the watchmen of their flock in Ezekiel 33. When they saw an evil coming contrary to the bible, no mater from what sector, they sounded the alarm. Like Jesus and his disciples, they spoke against the evils of their day and applied proper biblical thinking, regardless if it was categorized as “political.” Think of the old testament period. Imagine Israel had a leader who preached the tolerance of homosexuality, God would respond by sending a prophet to speak Gods truth. Everything in the declaration of Independence such as all men created equal, the consent of the governed etc was already preached widely by pastors before 1776 for proper biblical government.
“The written constitution was the child of the pulpit.”
-Alice Baldwin the new England clergy and the American revolution
Likewise what the British were doing such as taxation without representation and the stamp act were shown to be forms of tyranny in the bible. These were the topics of many sermons in America that incited people towards the revolution. The reverend John Wise who preached these sermons was credited with the ideas that formed the declaration of independence. When John Adams was asked who was most responsible for the revolution he named the Rev Samuel Cooper, the rev John Mayhew, the Rev George Witfeild, and the Rev Charles Chauncy.
“The preachers of the revolution did not hesitate to attack the great political and social evils of their day.”
-Frank Moore historian 1862
“Ministers led the fight for both religious and civil liberties.”
-Stephen McDowell The Bible America's Source of law and Liberty Providence Foundation 2016
In Paul Reverse famous ride he rode to the home of the rev Jonas Clark to warn the British were coming. The reason being Clark was the most important political figure in the area in Lexington and Sam Adams and John Hancock were at his house as they often were. Clark helped write the resolution for Massachusetts to separate from britian and also his state constitution. When word came that the British were coming Adams and Hancock asked Clark are your men ready? He answered “ I trained them for this very hour.” The alarm bells rang, the bells were from Clarks church where he was pastor to worn the people and to assembled outside the church. 150 people gathered at the church all men from his congregation and they go off to resits the British. Clark tells his men to let the British firs first because God would not bless an offensive war but you can defend yourself.
Other pastors like John Muhlenburg of Virginia helped raise units and eventually earned the rank of major general. While pasturing his church Muhlenburg gave his last sermon by reading from Ecclesiastes 3declaring there is a time for peace, but that time is know gone, know is a time for war. He took off his robes and underneath he was wearing his military uniform with his pistols, he asked his congregation, who will come with me? 300 of his congregation joined him. His brother Frederick was also a pastor and while pastor served as Americas first speaker of the house of representatives. Pastor James Calwdell would fight during the week and than give sermons on sundays fully armed with two pistols daring anyone to take them from him while giving the sermon. Once a battle happened outside his church and him and his congregation were running out of wadding so he ran into the church grabbed the hymnals by Isaac Watts, and yelled “give them watts.”
“No class of men contributed more to carry forward the revolution and to achieve our independence than did the ministers.”
-B.F Morris historian 1864
“Preachers were the staunchest defenders of the cause of America.”
-James P Byrd Sacred Scripture Sacred war the bible and the American Revolution Oxford u Press 2013
Not context.
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