“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”– Benjamin Franklin
America was founded as a free country. We still like to call it a free country, but as our virtue wanes our liberties are being stripped from us one by one. As Benjamin Franklin stated in the aforementioned quote, only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. Virtue and freedom are linked, they are joined at the hip, and as America becomes more and more morally corrupt our freedoms will continue to vanish away.
America has slowly but surely surrendered individual rights over the years. The freedom of speech has been replaced with the rhetoric of hate speech, life has been stripped away as the worshipers of Moloch have made Planned Parenthood their new temple, and the right to personal conviction has been defeated with the cries of “Bake the cake bigot!”
All of these losses of freedoms are directly tied to an acceptance of iniquity and a rejection of virtue.
The greatest loss of liberty that America has felt is in the pulpits of her churches. This loss of liberty is a superficial one, but has been the most effective in decaying our nation’s virtue. What we have lost in the pulpit is the freedom of speech, or at least that has been the perception among preachers. For fear of losing their tax-exempt status preachers have relegated their sermons to abstract doctrines that may make their congregation big-headed but does nothing to make their hearts holy. Virtue and freedom are joined at the hip and this leads to only one conclusion, our pulpits have lost their virtue.
Contrary to popular belief, America was not forged on a battlefield or at the table of politics. America was sparked by the pulpits and great pastors who kindled the fire of a virtuous revolution by encouraging their people to submit to the higher authority and appeal to heaven. The great and virtuous preachers of that time became known as The Black Robed Regiment. This Black Robed Regiment was marked by men such as Peter Muhlenberg and Jonathan Mayhew. These were mighty men of the pulpit and mighty men of action. Rev. Muhlenberg led the 8th Virginia Regiment, many of whom were members of his church. From Rev. Mayhew’s pulpit you could hear statements like these:
“People are not usually deprived of their liberties all at once, but gradually, by one encroachment after another, as it is found they are disposed to bear them.”
“Common tyrants, and public oppressors, are not entitled to obedience from their subjects, by virtue of any thing here (Romans 13:1-7) laid down by the inspired apostle.”
“Tyranny brings ignorance and brutality with it. It degrades men from their just rank into the class of brutes; it damps their spirits; it suppresses art; it extinguishes every spark of noble ardor and generosity in the breasts of those who are enslaved by it; it makes naturally strong and great minds feeble and little, and triumphs over the ruins of virtue and humanity.”
“Till people find themselves greatly abused and oppressed by their governors, they are not apt to complain; and whenever they do, in fact, find themselves thus abused and oppressed, they must be stupid not to complain.”
A nation’s virtue will always be tied to the fortitude of her pulpits. Where strong pulpits reside there will be a moral and virtuous people. Where weak pulpits set up shop, a nation will experience moral corruption and an absence of virtue. It is impossible for a pulpit to stand against the wiles of the devil if the preacher has forged his own chains by the name of 501(c)(3). When a pastor goes to a tax code to see what he can or cannot preach the devil has already won the battle, because that pastor has submitted himself to the fear of man and thrown out the fear of God altogether.
Today in American pulpits you will be hard pressed to find any resemblance of the Black Robed Regiment. Instead you will find a Pink Cardigan Brigade. Where our pulpits once blazed with passion for righteousness and submission to God alone, you will now hear messages of compromise and worldliness. The Pink Cardigan Brigade will give lectures on environmental justice (the worship of creation instead of the Creator), racial reparations (the imputation of sin to redistribute wealth and silence the nations majority), and the plea to be silent on the massacre of millions of babies. It is no wonder we have lost our virtue and by it are losing our freedom.
For America there is good news! The problem we have incurred over the past few generations is fixable. To fix the problem we need virtuous pastors once more! We need pastors who do not look to a tax code to see what they are allowed to preach, but rather turn to God Almighty to see what He would have them proclaim when they enter into the pulpit. We need pastors who are willing to preach more than just abstract doctrines and worldly rhetoric. We need pastors who will proclaim what the Bible says to the issues our world faces, even if the Bible’s answer isn’t politically correct.
For the American people to regain and maintain their freedoms we must have pastors throw off their pink cardigans and once more place upon themselves the black robes worn by their ancestors. As a revolution marked by freedom had to start in the virtuous pulpits so preservation of that freedom must continue in virtuous pulpits. Where the pulpits lead the people will follow.
Where are the virtuous pastors today? Will they speak to and lead the people once more to virtue? Will the pastors today lead our nation to freedom by way of virtue or will they ensure slavery by refusing to speak out?
Our nation has one path to maintain its freedom and that is through virtue. After all, Scripture is clear, “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.”
Author: Sam Jones
Pastor Sam completed an intense pastoral internship at Hagerman Baptist Church and served as a chaplain at Heritage Care Center in Iowa Falls, Iowa before accepting the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Hudson, Iowa. He loves people and his goal is to make disciples of Christ by personally, prayerfully, and persistently investing the Word of God into others.
