Fiery Patrick Henry
The famous words of Patrick Henry are known to every child in America. Resounding resolve, unwavering faith. The words embolden and encourage all who hear them. But not many have heard more of the speech than just that one phrase.
"The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery, and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country....Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth and listen to the song of the siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?...Let us not deceive ourselves sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation, the last arguments to which kings resort...They are sent to over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. have we anything new to offer on the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light which it is capable, but it has been all in vain...In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us! They tell us that we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary...Sir, we are not weak, if we make proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power... Besides sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise friends to fight our battles for us... There is no retreat but in submission and slavery...It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace! - but there is no peace. The war is actually begun!... Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me: Give me liberty, or give me death!"
That speech has reverberated through time, touching all who hear his words. They say - I would rather die free than live a slave! - and fight they did. America is home of the free. For a reason they call it the land of the free. Our two greatest wars were fought over slavery. The Revolutionary and the Civil war. But how have we lost the fact that this freedom is nothing without the virtue and pure religion it was founded upon?
"Whether this will prove a blessing or a curse, will depend upon the use our people will make of the blessings which a gracious God hath bestowed on us. If they are wise, they will be great and happy. If they are of a contrary character, they will be miserable. Righteousness alone can exalt them as a nation. Reader! Whoever thou art, remember this: and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself, and encourage it in others."
Virtue. Righteousness alone - which is a blessing from God! That does not sound like the "separation of church and state" that historians and secularists are spouting these days. But that is a quote from Patrick Henry. And any other article I have written so far about the Founding Father has contradicted that view. The founding fathers were not anti religious, they were not atheists or deists. They were true Christians. Not "church-ians", but true Christ followers. Followers of Jesus Christ and believers in the trustworthiness of the Holy Scriptures - the Bible.
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."
THIS is what most people have Missed today! WE ARE a Christian Nation! That does NOT mean you must be Christian to live peacefully and prosperously! Nor does it mean that you are second rate or anything of the sort!
"That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other."
Patrick Henry strikes no one as someone who does anything half-way. Indeed his family described him as one who "looked to the restraining and elevating principles of Christianity as the hope of his country's institutions." and his life was dedicated to the "earnest efforts to establish true Christianity in our country."
Such was the devotion of our Founding Fathers.
Jared Williams
"The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery, and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country....Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth and listen to the song of the siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?...Let us not deceive ourselves sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation, the last arguments to which kings resort...They are sent to over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. have we anything new to offer on the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light which it is capable, but it has been all in vain...In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us! They tell us that we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary...Sir, we are not weak, if we make proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power... Besides sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise friends to fight our battles for us... There is no retreat but in submission and slavery...It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace! - but there is no peace. The war is actually begun!... Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me: Give me liberty, or give me death!"
That speech has reverberated through time, touching all who hear his words. They say - I would rather die free than live a slave! - and fight they did. America is home of the free. For a reason they call it the land of the free. Our two greatest wars were fought over slavery. The Revolutionary and the Civil war. But how have we lost the fact that this freedom is nothing without the virtue and pure religion it was founded upon?
"Whether this will prove a blessing or a curse, will depend upon the use our people will make of the blessings which a gracious God hath bestowed on us. If they are wise, they will be great and happy. If they are of a contrary character, they will be miserable. Righteousness alone can exalt them as a nation. Reader! Whoever thou art, remember this: and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself, and encourage it in others."
Virtue. Righteousness alone - which is a blessing from God! That does not sound like the "separation of church and state" that historians and secularists are spouting these days. But that is a quote from Patrick Henry. And any other article I have written so far about the Founding Father has contradicted that view. The founding fathers were not anti religious, they were not atheists or deists. They were true Christians. Not "church-ians", but true Christ followers. Followers of Jesus Christ and believers in the trustworthiness of the Holy Scriptures - the Bible.
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."
THIS is what most people have Missed today! WE ARE a Christian Nation! That does NOT mean you must be Christian to live peacefully and prosperously! Nor does it mean that you are second rate or anything of the sort!
"That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other."
Patrick Henry strikes no one as someone who does anything half-way. Indeed his family described him as one who "looked to the restraining and elevating principles of Christianity as the hope of his country's institutions." and his life was dedicated to the "earnest efforts to establish true Christianity in our country."
Such was the devotion of our Founding Fathers.
Jared Williams
