The American Soul
The American Soul
Faith, Fellowship, and the Fight Ahead
What do your daily choices reveal about your priorities? In this thought-provoking episode, I dig into the uncomfortable truth that our actions speak volumes about what we truly value. When we claim we "can't" make time for God or meaningful relationships but somehow find hours for sports, social media, or streaming services, we're not facing an issue of ability but of willingness.
I explore America's often-overlooked Christian foundations through historical evidence, including presidents who took their oath of office on specific Bible passages and Thomas Jefferson's acknowledgment of Jesus's moral teachings. These facts challenge the modern narrative that our nation was designed to be purely secular, revealing instead a republic founded on principles inseparable from their Christian origin.
The heart of this episode confronts a difficult reality: the growing likelihood of ideological conflict in America's future. Drawing wisdom from Stonewall Jackson's perspective on courage and faith, I discuss how spiritual preparation becomes essential when facing uncertainty. When peaceful coexistence with evil ideologies becomes impossible, what principles will guide our response?
Through readings from Fox's Book of Martyrs and Mercy Otis Warren's history of the American Revolution, we encounter sobering examples of both the reality of evil and the courage required to stand against it. These historical accounts remind us that every generation faces its own moral challenges requiring conviction and clarity.
Whether examining the Medal of Honor recipients who sacrificed everything or considering our responsibility to protect the vulnerable, this episode invites you to reflect on what truly matters in life. Join me in exploring how faith, courage, and clear moral priorities have always been essential to preserving liberty and defending those who cannot defend themselves.
The American Soul Podcast
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Hey folks, this is Jesse Cope, back with another episode of the American Soul Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well, wherever y'all are and whatever part of the day you're in. I sure do appreciate y'all joining me, giving me a little bit of your time and attention, a little piece of your day. I will try and use it wisely. Hopefully I will help us all add some tools to our toolbox, as we used to say in the Marine Corps, and hopefully it will help us all draw a little bit closer to God and Jesus Christ, both as individuals and as a nation. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast, tell others about it, thank you so much. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you desperately. One need those prayers and I'm grateful for them. So thank y'all very much. Father, thank you for today. Thank you for you, father, and your Son Jesus Christ, and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of sins. Thank you for the people that listen to the podcast. Thank you for the time to record it. Please be with them, be with their families, guide them, bless them, surround them with your angels. Give us all a strong faith, father. Help us to run the race all the way to the end. Give us the wisdom to see how to do that, the courage to act on it and the perseverance to survive whatever trials may come our way. Help us to remember that it's a a blessing to suffer for the sake of your son, jesus Christ. Please, please, bring us all safely to you, father and your son, jesus Christ, and your timing. Watch over our nation here in America and the nations of all those listening around the world. Be with our leaders. Give them wisdom and courage and a strong faith. Help us to help those, father, that have less than we do. Help us to truly care for the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy. Forgive us when we fail, father. Forgive us when we go back to the same old sins time and again, like a dog returns to its vomit, as you have said in Proverbs. Help us to truly repent of our sin, of that evil, and to turn to you. Guide us in all we do, Father. Guide my words here. In your son's name we pray Amen. Have you made time for God today? Have you made time to read his word? Have you made time to pray, to talk to him and, if you're married, have you made time for your spouse?
Speaker 1:Our actions tell us everything, folks, and they tell the world everything too, and they tell our spouse everything and our kids. It just simply boils down to what your priorities are. We like to make it really complicated and we come up with all these really good excuses about why we can't do something. But it's really not can't, it's just won't, why we can't work out, why we can't eat better, why we can't study more, read more. Whatever it is, folks, we're really good at making excuses and then justifying our actions with those excuses, and I just excuse me, I just can't help. But come back to the priorities thing over and over again, folks, that's just really it.
Speaker 1:What did you do today? What did you? You do today? What did you do yesterday? How did you spend your time? How much did you give to your phone, to social media, to a workout, even to reading for entertainment? How much did you give to Amazon, to Prime, to Hulu, to Netflix, to YouTube, tiktok, facebook, whatever it is? How much time did you give to sports? To sports? So watching football or volleyball, or basketball, baseball, softball, golf, tennis right, I have played tennis off and on throughout my life, and so I'm just using this example. I use sports often. It doesn't really matter which one I find myself. I can get sucked into any kind of sport pretty easily. But the French Open was the last week or so, and if you know anything about men's professional, professional tennis, you know that it's three out of five sets, often, especially in the, the major grand slams. Well, that's a long time, folks. That's hours, multiple hours, if you watch the whole thing and and I was talking to a friend of mine recently, you know. So let's say that you watch that and that tennis match takes five hours, give or take, say even four, be conservative. How long would it take you to make up that amount of time spending it with God or with your spouse? How long would it take you to spend four hours with God? How many days or weeks or months? How long would it take you to spend four hours with your spouse? And now think about how often you watch sports or social media or whatever it is that you fall into computer games. Right, we have time, folks. We just choose to do other things with it.
Speaker 1:Revelation, chapter 7. An interlude. After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun having the seal of the living God 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel From the tribe of Judah, 12,000 were sealed. From the tribe of Reuben, 12,000. From the tribe of Gad, 12,000. From the tribe of Asher, 12,000. From the tribe of Nephtali, 12,000. From the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000. From the tribe of Simeon, 12,000. From the tribe of Levi, 12,000. From the tribe of Simeon, 12,000. From the tribe of Levi, 12,000. From the tribe of Issachar, 12,000. From the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000. From the tribe of Joseph, 12,000. From the tribe of Benjamin, 12,000 were sealed, a Multitude from the Tribulation.
Speaker 1:After these things, I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands, and they cry out with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me these who are clothed in the white robes, who are they and where have they come from? I said to him my Lord, you know. And he said to me these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God and they serve him day and night in his temple, and he who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst any more, nor will the sun beat down on them nor any heat. The Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to the springs of the water of life, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Verse 12, amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Speaker 1:I get the feeling often that those who have come before us many of them anyway have a much better idea of the need to give glory and honor and thanksgiving to God and that the blessings we have come from him, the wisdom we have come from him, and that he is all-powerful, almighty and deserves all praise and honor and glory. And maybe that's just me. Maybe you don't struggle with that understanding or that acknowledgement, and if you don't, that's great, and if you do, that's fine too. We just need to remember who we're talking to. On the one hand, you don't have to come to God with some super special words in the exact right order for him to hear you. You can just talk to him. But on the other hand, we need to remember who we're talking to.
Speaker 1:I think often Verse 16 and 17. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore, nor will the sun be down on them, nor any heat. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore, nor will the sun be down on them, nor any heat, for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. If you're struggling, if you're hurting, if you're alone, if you're heartbroken, try and take a little bit of comfort from these promises from God. It's not going to be any more hunger or thirst or pain and all the tears that we have the Lamb, jesus Christ, right. He's going to wipe those tears away and he's going to lead us as the good shepherd to the springs of the water of life forever, for all eternity. He's going to take care of us. We're not going to have any more heartache or pain, illness, injury. That's a pretty good deal, folks. That's the very best deal there is going anywhere. Thank you, father.
Speaker 1:All right, a little bit of history. So a few things here. George HW Bush, president, as he took the presidential oath of office in 1989, put his hand on Matthew 5. And then Harry S Truman, as he took the presidential oath of office 40 years earlier, in 1949, put his hand on Matthew 5, 3 through 11, and Exodus 20, 3-17. And Matthew 5, if you're not familiar with that is the Beatitudes, and particularly verses 3-11.
Speaker 1:Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for those will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persec.
Speaker 1:Our founders and our great leaders wanted the nation to be secular, pagan, separated from God. Ask them why in the world our presidents have taken their oath of office on the Bible. And if our nation truly viewed all different religions as the same religions, as the same, why would it be done on the Koran or some other text from one of the imposters Right the idea that we were even ever remotely founded as a secular nation. It doesn't hold up to scrutiny, even in seemingly small ways. This isn't a small way to have the head of your country, the leader of your nation, swear an oath on the Bible, because it's so sacred and so holy that that makes the oath all the stronger. But it's just one little tidbit of information that you can add to your toolbox. I think we've read this recently, but this is out of a letter to Dr Benjamin Rush by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803.
Speaker 1:The practice of morality being necessary for the well-being of society, god has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain Subtleties. We all agree in the obligation of the moral precepts of Jesus, and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in his discourses. We all agree in the obligation of the moral precepts of Jesus, and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than his discourses. So we all agree Jefferson's saying at the beginning of our nation that we have an obligation to follow the precepts, the general principles, of Jesus Christ. That doesn't sound very secular at all, especially coming from one of the founders who was supposedly so against God and the state. And he says the greatest place to find those precepts is in his discourses in the Bible, holy Scripture, and that first sentence. If we want society, the well-being of society, if we want society to function well, we have to practice morality. And so we've got to look at those general principles, and so it doesn't matter where you came from before you came to America. It doesn't matter if you're from Central America or South America or Europe or Asia or Africa or Australia, if you want to come to America. In order for America to continue to function, we have to practice liberty as a whole, as a people.
Speaker 1:A couple times over the years on the podcast, and he talks about the fact in this speech that just because a few great men and women well-known is really what he means by great are able to flaunt the laws of matrimony, meaning that they're able to sleep around on their spouse or have a mistress or whatever else, and it doesn't seem like there's any real consequence to their life, which is not true. To begin with, there's always consequence for sin folks. But you know what he's talking about. You see people that you know are doing wrong, and yet it doesn't seem to affect their life in a negative manner. Wrong, and yet it doesn't seem to affect their life in a negative manner. But he's saying, even if a few people seem to get away with that, there's no way that as a whole society, we can just ignore the laws of matrimony and have our society still continue to function. And that's the same thing with the people as a whole. Yeah, there's going to be some that are going to ignore those precepts of Jesus Christ, but as a people, if we start to ignore those precepts as a whole, we're going to completely fall apart and we are and as a side note, you see, that's also true for marriage We've degraded marriage as a whole society and we are falling apart.
Speaker 1:One more Peter Buckley founded the city of Concord and this is out of his book of sermons, the Gospel Covenant. We are as a city set upon a hill in the open view of all the earth. We profess ourselves to be a people in covenant with God and therefore the Lord, our God, will cry shame upon us if we walk contrary to the covenant which we have promised. To walk in the mouths of men against our profession by reason of the scandalousness of our lives, we, of all men, shall have the greater sin. So the first thing is, a city set upon a hill is a phrase that you may be familiar with from one of Reagan's speeches. A couple other people have used it. So Peter Buckley, this is back in the late 1500s. He lived from 1583 to 1659. I don't know when his book of sermons was written I don't have that date in front of me, but he's referencing Matthew 5, 14,.
Speaker 1:A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, and if we want our nation to be this shining city on a hill for people around the world to sow the light of liberty, we have to follow those general principles of Jesus Christ. That's the only way. It's not because we're smarter or faster or prettier or braver or whatever else. It's because of our relationship with God and Jesus Christ. The other thing here is the danger that we're running and have been running for about 80 years now in America is well, let me phrase it this way primary two cycles ago about President Trump in particular and the fact that he's been married multiple times and theoretically has not been the most faithful of husbands, or at least he's done some things that are not sexually moral.
Speaker 1:And he said you know, I don't hold that against him that much. He said I certainly don't approve of it. But he said you know, trump never claimed to be this moral man. Trump never claimed to think that marriage was permanently between one man and one woman and that no-fault divorce wasn't acceptable, et cetera, et cetera. And then he started talking about some of the other politicians I think Ted Cruz was one and a couple others, and it doesn't really matter, folks but he was saying these people talk about family all the time, so if they all of a sudden came out and they were sleeping around on their wives, he said, it would be a lot more condemning.
Speaker 1:And you see that when a pastor who talks about being faithful in marriage is not, it's hard. It's harder to get our brain wrapped around. And that's the problem that we have in America today, folks, is, we have acknowledged as a people even though we don't today, we reject God today. In the past, we've acknowledged our relationship with God and Jesus Christ and so now, as we start to break that covenant that we have with God, as we reject his son and his principles, we're going to have the greater sins, the greater destruction, the greater chaos, the greater problems. It's going to be a lot worse for us as America than it would be for China or North Korea or Iran or some of these other places that don't claim any kind of virtue or morality and have openly acknowledged that they reject God and Jesus Christ. It's going to be a lot worse for us as hypocrites as a nation. All right, medal of Honor. Let's see where we are today, or where we left off, at least I think. John H Ball, yeah, so we're going to start with Joe R Baldonado.
Speaker 1:Korean War Ranked Corporal Korean War. 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon Bravo Company, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 11th Airborne Division, us Army. Action Date November 25, 1950, action place Kangdong Korea. I'm sure I pronounced that wrong Citation as follows trepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while serving as an acting machine gunner in 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon Company, bravo, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment, during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kangdong, korea on November 25, 1950.
Speaker 1:On that morning the enemy launched a strong attack in an effort to seize the hill occupied by Corporal Balonado and his company. The platoon had expended most of its ammunition in repelling the enemy attack and the third platoon leader decided to commit his third squad with its supply of ammunition in the defensive action. Since there was no time to dig in because of the proximity of the enemy, who had advanced to within 25 yards of the platoon position, corporal Balinato emplaced his weapon in an exposed position and delivered a withering stream of fire on the advancing enemy, causing them to fall back in disorder. The enemy then concentrated all their fire on Corporal Balinato's gun and attempted to knock it out by rushing the position in small groups and hurling hand grenades. Several times, grenades exploded extremely close to Corporal Balinato, but failed to interrupt his continuous fire. The hostile troops made repeated attempts to storm his position and were driven back each time with appalling casualties. The enemy finally withdrew after making a final assault on Corporal Balanado's position, during which a grenade landed near his gun, killing him instantly.
Speaker 1:Corporal Balanado's extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army. Accredited to Santa Clara, santa Clara County, california. Awarded posthumously presented March 18, 2014, at the White House, to his brother, charles Baldonado, by President Barack Obama. To his brother, charles Baldonado, by President Barack Obama, born August 28, 1930. Colorado, united States. Died November 25, 1950. Kangdong, korea, remains never recovered. Honolulu Memorial Cemetery, honolulu, hawaii. Arlington National Cemetery, arlington, virginia, united States.
Speaker 1:You have to ask yourself why there's so much time between the action date on these and the awarding of the medal. It's just very curious. Charles H Baldwin US Civil War. Ranked coal heaver, highest rank acting master's mate. Us Civil War. Uss Wilesing, us Navy. May 25, 1864 was the Medal of Honor action date and the place was Roanoke River, north Carolina, usa. Served on board the USS Wylissing and participated in a plan to destroy the Rebel Ram Albemarle in Roanoke River 25 May 1864. No-transcript. Escaping the fire of the muskets, CH Baldwin spent two days and nights of hazardous travel without food and finally arrived fatigued at the mothership.
Speaker 1:Accredited to Philadelphia, philadelphia County, pennsylvania, not awarded posthumously. Born June 30, 1839, wilmington, newcastle County, delaware, united States. Died November 22, 1911. Buried Christ Church Cemetery, ackakeek, maryland, united States. Charles H Baldwin A couple names there, folks, just to add to our list of names. We need to remember far more than entertainers and professional athletes and politicians. All right, we'll move on.
Speaker 1:So one thing I want to reiterate here, just because I continue to hear so much about it online, folks yes, two things really is two things really, and I know we have talked about this already and we talk about it quite often and we'll continue to talk about it. But you need to get your head mentally wrapped around the fact that we probably have a fight coming here in the United States and the best way I know to do that right, because the Marine Corps always taught us when you come to the CO, make sure that if you have a problem you have at least three solutions. They don't even have to be great solutions, but you better have solutions. There's no peaceful coexistence possible with people that follow evil and the principles of the bucket of isms leftism, socialism, communism, nazism, fascism they're evil, they're antichrist and they're evil. Same thing with the core principles based on the actions. Folks based on the actions. The core principles of Islam are evil. They're just simply not peaceful coexistence possible, and so, unless we're willing to go down the route of slavery under the left or under Islam, we need to get our heads mentally around the fact that there's probably a fight coming, and the best way to do that, folks, is to make peace with God and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, as I have done. And it's not the best because I've done it, it's the best because God says that's what's the best.
Speaker 1:Just as a little side note to the side note here anytime you hear anything, it needs to be tested by Scripture and the Holy Spirit, and that's why things are the best, because they're God's. So if you hear a man talking about something and it's right, know that it's right because God says it is, and I don't know. Maybe that'll make sense to some of y'all about a certain angle of this. But Stonewall Jackson the comment that we talk about so often when asked why he was so brave and he said well, I know that my creator knows exactly when I'm going to die and how I'm going to die, and he's going to take care of my soul because I trust in his son. So it doesn't really matter. My job is just to do the best I can for as long as I can, and if some of y'all are like me, you have trouble latching onto that at times, but that's okay. That's just another part of the process. We need to trust God. So, anyway, we need to get our head wrapped around that.
Speaker 1:We have a fight coming, likely. Our founders did it. This isn't new. You know the pilgrims. In their own way, they had a fight coming and they had the ability to leave but we really don't. And they left and it was absolutely just as trying as any war. Our founders had a fight. The Union, those that were against slavery, had a fight. Those that were against tyranny, whether you're talking about the Rough Riders or French warfare in World War I or World War II, against the Nazis and fascists and Imperial Japan. They had a fight, imperial Japan, they had a fight. Communists, cold War generation, they had a fight and we've got one too, and it looks like it's going to turn hot. Maybe it won't, at any rate.
Speaker 1:The second thing is folks you see these videos and pictures and commentary coming out of California. There's absolutely nothing kind and caring or loving your neighbor about supporting illegal immigration. And if you have people in your circle and I'm talking about a very specific facet of this right now If you have people in your circle that claim to follow Christ or that don't claim to follow Christ but are trying to shame you into feelings like standing against illegal immigration is cruel. It's not. Going along with illegal immigration is cruel. It's cruel to the illegal immigrant, it's cruel to our fellow American brothers and sisters here. There's nothing about it that is kind or caring. Regardless of whether the sentiments of an individual that supports illegal immigration, whether they really think they're being kind or not, it's not. The action itself is not loving your neighbor as yourself.
Speaker 1:Illegal immigration hurts the poor and the needy, the widow and the orphan. It stills resources and representation away from law-abiding citizens. It undermines rule of law, law-abiding citizens. It undermines rule of law. It weakens our nation, which and honestly folks, weakens the world in this case. And if you have somebody that's trying to throw out those Old Testament verses and Leviticus and Deuteronomy, talking about being kind and caring to the sojourner, the alien, who wasn't native, remember that those sojourners, those aliens, those strangers in Israel were required to follow the law of the land, god's law. And so if somebody comes up to you and that's the route they want to go, that's great. That would be the best possible immigration law for our nation, because it would require that, first and foremost, any immigrant that wanted to become an American would have to be Christian.
Speaker 1:We're going to get back into Fox's Book of the Martyrs and we're going to pick up in the section on the Bartholomew Massacre at Paris, at Anjoy, if I said that right, they slew Albacus, a minister, and many women were defiled and murdered there, among whom were two sisters abused before their father, whom the assassins bound to a wall to see them and then slew them and him. The president of Turin, after giving a large sum for his life was cruelly beaten with clubs, stripped of his clothes and hung feet upwards with his head and breast in the river. Before he was dead, they opened his belly, plucked out his entrails and threw them into the river and then carried his heart about the city upon a spear At bar. Great cruelty was used even to young children, whom they cut open, pulled out their entrails, which, through very rage, they gnawed with their teeth. Those who had fled to the castle when they yielded were almost all hanged. Thus they did at the city of Matiscon, counting its sport to cut off their arms and legs and afterward kill them. Counting its sport to cut off their arms and legs and afterward kill them. And for the entertainment of their visitors, they often threw the Protestants from a high bridge into the river, saying Did you ever see men leap so well?
Speaker 1:At Penna, after promising them safety, 300 were inhumanly butchered, and 5 and 40 at Albia, on the Lord's Day. At none though it yielded on conditions of safeguard, the most horrid spectacles were exhibited Persons of both sexes and conditions were indiscriminately murdered, the streets ringing with doleful cries and flowing with blood, and the houses flaming with fire which the abandoned soldiers had thrown in, one woman, being dragged from her hiding place with her husband, was first abused by the brutal soldiers and then, with a sword which they commanded her to draw, they forced it, while in her hands, into the bowels of her husband. At the Marbridge, they murdered above 100 protestants after promising them peace, and at ansador, 100 were killed and cast part into a jakes and part into a river, 100 put in prison. At orleans were destroyed by the furious multitude. The protestants at rochelle, wereelle, who were such as had miraculously escaped the rage of hell and fled there seeing how ill they fared, who submitted to those holy devils, stood for their lives, and some other cities, encouraged thereby, did the like.
Speaker 1:Against Rochelle, the king sent almost the whole power of france which besieged it seven months, though by their assaults they did very little execution on the inhabitants, yet by famine they destroyed 18, 000 out of 2 and 20. The dead being too numerous for the living to bury, became food for vermin and carnivorous birds. Many, taking their coffins into the churchyard, laid down in them and breathed their last. Their diet had long been what the minds of those in plenty shudder at. Even human flesh entrails. Dung in the most loathsome things became at last the only food of those champions for that truth and liberty of which the world was not worthy. At every attack, the besiegers met with such an intrepid reception that they left 132 captains, with a proportionate number of men dead in the field.
Speaker 1:The siege, at last was broken up at the request of the Duke of Anjoy, the king's brother, who was proclaimed king of Poland, and the king being wearied out, easily. Complied whereupon honorable conditions were granted them. Complied whereupon honorable conditions were granted them. It is a remarkable interference of providence that, in all this dreadful massacre, not more than two ministers of the gospel were involved in it. The tragic sufferings of the Protestants are too numerous to detail, but the treatment of Philip Dedue will give an idea of the rest. After the miscreants had slain this martyr in his bed, they went to his wife, who was then attended by the midwife, expecting every moment to be delivered. The midwife entreated them to stay the murder at least till the child, which was the twentieth, should be born. Notwithstanding this, they thrust a dagger up to the hilt into the poor woman, anxious to be delivered. She ran into a corn loft, but hither. They pursued her, stabbed her in the belly and then threw her into the street. By the fall, the child came from the dying mother and, being caught up by one of the Catholic ruffians, he stabbed the infant and then threw it into the river.
Speaker 1:It's hard to read that stuff, folks. Children probably even more so. Probably maybe not something that you want to read out loud to really young children, but it is our history, it's the history of those who follow Jesus Christ over the doctrinal, denominational doctrine of a particular church. And if you go back to this preface of Fox's Book of the Martyrs, you hear him say again that all of the different denominations have at some point approved of evil. You think about the Salem witch trials here in America. The difference, of course, being with the Catholic Church that they make the claim to infallibility. And if they are truly infallible, then these actions that were approved of and participated in by members of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church are okay, are just. And not only are just but could be and should be repeated. And that's the rub you can't claim infallibility and at the same time claim that you made a mistake.
Speaker 1:The other thing here that you see and I just had a conversation with this about this, with a man that I have a great deal of respect for, and have for a long time. At each of these moments in history, we're given a choice whether to stand against evil or to go along with it. Evil or to go along with it and I don't have a perfect answer for each and every one of you by any means I wouldn't claim to but there's definitely something worthy in those who stand up against evil, as long as they acknowledge that the outcome is up to God. We have a responsibility to care for the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy poor and the needy. And laying down and allowing evil men to butcher, rape, pillage, plunder, torture, enslave the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy, women and children At least in my mind, it doesn't seem to accomplish that goal, that command of God's. And so, as you look around at the world today, think about that, dwell on that a little bit, mull it over, talk to God about it, look back at our history. You know what had happened. What would have happened if those who stood against slavery had just laid down and said well, I guess it's not that big a deal after all. What about those who stood up to the Nazis and anti-Semitism if they had just said. Well, and a lot of them did.
Speaker 1:England, you know, we've read a little bit out of this last line book of Alone. Pacifism was a big deal in England in the 20s and 30s. That was considered the ultimate virtue. How many people were slaughtered because of that pacifism. And there are some truly courageous pacifists out there in the world, folks, some men and women that buy into that wholeheartedly. And that's between them and God, just like our decision is between us and God. And I don't necessarily think that one or the other can always be right or always be wrong, but I definitely see the biblical angle for defending the least of these. And again I mentioned that we probably have a fight coming.
Speaker 1:And when you read this out of the Book of the Martyrs and you look at the Protestants at Rochelle that saw how ill they fared, who submitted to those holy devils, stood for their lives, and some other cities, encouraged thereby, did the like you shouldn't expect any mercy at the hands of the bucket of isms, leftism, socialism, communism, nazism, fascism. And you should not expect any mercy at the hands of imposters such as Islam, buddhism, hinduism, throughout history, when you see any of those isms given total power, when you see Islam given total power, and when you see here the Catholic Church even given total power, you see atrocities that are hard to even read through occurring. Just some thoughts, folks. That's the end of that little section and so we'll get back into it on the next podcast. We're going to read just a little bit today out of the history of the rise, progress and termination of the American Revolution Mercy Otis Warren.
Speaker 1:The royal charter requires that they should proceed to the choice of a speaker and the election of a council the first day of the meeting of the assembly. They had conformed to this as usual, but protested against its being considered as a precedent on any future emergency. Thus, amidst the warmest expressions of resentment from all classes for the indignity offered to free people by this haughty treatment of their legislature, the governor suffered them to sit several weeks without doing business and at last compelled them to give way to an armed force. By adjourning the General Assembly to Cambridge, the internal state of the province required the attention of the House at this critical exigency of affairs. They therefore, on their first meeting at Cambridge, resolved that it was their opinion that the British Constitution admits no armed force within the realm but for the purpose of offensive or defensive war. That placing troops in the colony in the midst of profound peace was a breach of privilege, an infraction of the natural rights of the people and manifestly subversive of that happy form of government that they had hitherto enjoyed. That the honor, dignity and the service of the sovereign should be attended to by that assembly so far as was consistent with the just rights of the people, their own dignity and the freedom of debate. But that proceeding to business while an armed force was quartered in the province was not a dereliction of the privileges legally claimed by the colony but from necessity, and that no undue advantage should be taken from their compliance. No undue advantage should be taken from their compliance. After this.
Speaker 1:They had not time to do any other business before two messages of a very extraordinary nature in their opinion were laid before them, journals of the first session at Cambridge. The first was an order, under the sign manual of the king that Mr Bernard should repair to England to lay the state of the province before him. To this message was tacked a request from the governor that, as he attended His Majesty's pleasure as commander-in-chief of the province, his salary might be continued, though absent. The substance of the other message was an account of General Gage's expenditures in quartering his troops in the town of Boston, accompanied by an unqualified demand for the establishment of funds for the discharge thereof. The governor added that he was requested by General Gage to make requisition for future provision for quartering his troops within the town. Provision for quartering his troops within the town.
Speaker 1:The subsequent resolves of the House on these messages were conformable to the usual spirit of that assembly. They warmly censored both Governor Bernard and General Gage for wantonly acting against the Constitution, charged them with making false and injurious representations against His Majesty's faithful subjects and discovering on all occasions the most inimical disposition towards the colonies. They observed that General Gage had rashly and impertinently intermeddled with the fairs, altogether out of his line, and that he had betrayed a degree of ignorance equal to his malice when he presumed to touch on the civil police of the province. They complained heavily of the arbitrary designs of government, the introduction of a standing army and the encroachments on civil liberty, and concluded with a declaration replete with sentiment. So, men conscious of their own freedom and integrity and deeply affected with the injuries offered their country, they observed that, to the utmost of their power, they should vindicate the rights of human nature and the privileges of Englishmen and explicitly declared that duty to their constituents forbade a compliance with either of these messages. This clear, decided answer being delivered, the governor summoned the House to attend and, after a short, angry and threatening speech, he perugued the assembly to January 1770.
Speaker 1:Governor Bernard immediately embarked for Europe, from whence he never more returned to a country he had, by his arbitrary disposition and indiscreet conduct, inflamed to a degree that required both judgment and prudence to cool, perhaps beyond the abilities and certainly incompatible with the views of the administration in being. The province had little reason to suppose that considerations of the interest of the people had any part in the recall or detention of this mischievous emissary. His reception at court, the summary proceedings with regard to his impeachment and trial and the character of the man appointed to succeed him strongly counteracted such a flattering opinion. Notwithstanding the high charges that had been alleged against Governor Bernard, he was acquitted by the King and Council without allowing time to the Assembly to support their accusations. Honored with a title and rewarded with a pension of a thousand pounds sterling per annum on the Irish establishment, governor Bernard had reason to be perfectly satisfied with the success of his appointment to the government of Massachusetts as it related to his personal interest. His conduct there procured him the smiles of the British court, an honorary title and a pension for life. Besides this, the legislature of that province had, in the early part of his administration, in a moment of complacency or perhaps from digested policy, with a hope of bribing him to his duty and stimulating him to defend their invaded rights, made him a grant of a very large tract of land, the whole of the island of Mount Desert. This was afterwards reclaimed by a Madame Grigori in right of her ancestors, who had obtained a patent of some part of that country in the early days of European immigration. But as Governor Bernard's property in America had never been confiscated, the General Assembly of Massachusetts afterward granted to his son, sir John Bernard, who still possesses this territory, two townships of land near the river Kennebec in lieu of the valuable isle recovered by Madame Rigaud.
Speaker 1:And I think that is all of chapter 3, and we'll keep going next time. God bless y'all. God bless your families. God bless your marriages. God bless your nation wherever. God bless your marriages. God bless your nation wherever you are around the world listening. God bless America. We'll talk to you all again real soon. Folks Looking forward to it.