The American Soul

The Forgotten Slavery: Confronting Modern Human Trafficking

Jesse Season 5 Episode 36

Jesse Cope tackles the uncomfortable truth about modern slavery hiding in plain sight across America. While historical reparations dominate headlines, Jesse challenges listeners to redirect their moral outrage toward the very real human trafficking crisis and exploitation happening in their own communities today. This thought-provoking episode cuts through political posturing to reveal where our attention and action are truly needed.

Drawing from Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 2, Jesse reminds us that God's kingdom doesn't operate like our status-obsessed world. The most powerful spiritual work often happens through ordinary people in everyday circumstances. "If God can use a donkey," Jesse reflects, "there's none of us that He can't use." This humbling perspective dismantles our excuses about needing more influence, wealth, or position before making a difference.

The episode weaves together biblical wisdom with historical insights, including a fascinating glimpse into early American religious thought through Ezra Stiles' 1783 sermon to the Connecticut General Assembly. This remarkable historical document reveals how deeply biblical knowledge once permeated American political discourse, challenging us to consider what we've lost in our modern separation of faith and civic life.

Perhaps most powerfully, Jesse calls Christians back to what matters most: "Christ alone and Him crucified." Beyond denominational squabbles and theological debates, our primary identity must be as followers of Jesus. "People should see so much of Christ in our lives that they're not concerned about what denomination we belong to," Jesse insists, reminding us that our witness is compromised when we major on minors.

Ready to discover your own sphere of influence and how God might use you right where you are? Listen now, then share this episode with someone who needs this message of purpose and possibility.

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Speaker 1:

Hi folks, this is Jesse Cope, back with another episode of the American Soul Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well, wherever y'all are, whatever part of the day you're in. I'm sure to appreciate y'all joining me, giving me a little bit of your peace, a little peace of your day maybe a little of your peace too Maybe I caused too much payoff and lack of peace but a little peace of your day, and I know that you'll have other things that you could be doing, but I appreciate you spending some of it here with me and I will try to use it wisely me and I will try to use it wisely and those of y'all who continue to share the podcast with others and 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 very, very much. I'm extremely grateful for the podcast. Thank you very, very much. I'm extremely grateful for your prayers.

Speaker 1:

Obviously, for those of y'all that know me, I need them and maybe some of y'all that just listen to the podcast know, father, thank you for today. Thank you for your new Father and your Son, Jesus Christ, and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your new 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 all your many blessings, the ones that we admit and the ones that we don't. Thank you for the time to record this podcast.

Speaker 1:

The people that listen to it, I'm sure. Be with them. Be with their families. Surround us all with your angels. Father, protect us from evil of any kind. Be with our nations, both here in America and around the world, wherever people are who are listening. Give them here in America and around the world, wherever people are who are listening. Give our leaders wisdom and courage and a strong faith. Help them to rule in fear of you. Help us to elect leaders that rule in fear of you. Be with our military and our law enforcement firefighters. Be with the families of those firefighters and policemen up in Idaho and just in general, across our nation, while they're pleased. Be with not only our firefighters and our EMS and our law enforcement and our military, but be with their families. Be with their wives, be with their children, comfort them, draw them close to you, help them to feel your presence and help us, father, to care for the widow and the orphan, for the widow and the orphaned.

Speaker 1:

When we lose those in any of those positions, help us just to care for the widow and the orphan in general, the poor and the needy, to care for those who are sick and in prison, those who are thirsty, hungry, old, naked. Help us to truly love your son, jesus Christ, and to lead others to him by following his example. Thank God, my words here. Father, please, in your son's name, we pray, amen, all right, have you made time for God today? Have you made time for Jesus Christ? Have you made time to read God's word, to pray, to talk to him? Is it a top priority for you or is it just something you throw in on the side? And if you're married, the same thing Is your spouse your top priority or are they just something that you throw in on the side?

Speaker 1:

And folks, your actions tell the whole tale. Your actions tell whether you're really interested in God and Jesus Christ. And I should always say we I berate myself sometimes our actions tell the world whether we're really interested in God and Jesus Christ or not. And our actions show the world, particularly our spouse, who's our closest neighbor, whether we're really interested in them or not. And it doesn't matter what we say, folks and some of us have a really rough background. Some of us had some parents that showed us a horrible example. Some of us had abuse as we grew up, and that's legitimate. But at some point we have to quit blaming other people for the way that we're acting. And that's also true, folks, for those of us that have had bad experiences in church. Some of us have had abusive experiences in church. Some of us have just had this kind of nasty, mean experiences in church. Some of us weren't raised in the church. We grew up our whole lives and that just was not part of our family, and those are all legitimate I'm not negating that for any of us folks. But at some point we have to strap on our boots ourselves, pull on our big girl or big boy britches and decide whether we're going to continue to really use our past as an excuse, as a crutch, but whether we're going to allow our past to continue to control us or whether we're going to make our own path with God and Jesus Christ and with our spouse.

Speaker 1:

I had a few things I think I'm just going to talk about one today that have kind of popped up over the last few days I saw a news article I can't remember where anymore, it doesn't really matter. There were some people at one of the riots over the last few weeks in California holding up reparations. In California holding up reparations. They were using the illegal immigration riots, I think, as an opportunity to what do you call it? Well, my brain just went away, I'm over calorie. But exploit there we go. Exploit that opportunity to press for reparations, right?

Speaker 1:

Can't imagine that any of y'all are not familiar with the fall for reparations today. But theoretically it's where we need to give money to the descendants of slaves, even though there's not a single person alive today that was a slave, at least the version that was in the 1800s, based on primarily skin color in the United States. And there's not a single person alive today in America that participated in that slavery as a slave owner, and we've had 160 years give or take since that slavery was abolished. But there's two very, very real kinds of slavery today present in America. One is and you kind of you'll understand perhaps, but it's abortion, right. So it's a slave to the mother or the father if the father's forcing the mother to have an abortion, but it's a slave to their desires, right and the other is the sex trafficking, slave, human trafficking, labor and sex, which is again primarily driven in a lot of places by illegal immigration, which also again gives a lie to the people that claim that they really care about the poor and the needy and the widow and the orphan.

Speaker 1:

By supporting illegal immigration because you don't, because you're hurting them, you're not helping them, you're creating a system, you're encouraging a system that exploits women and children, even men, for forced physical labor. I can't tell you, folks, and I just got kind of emotional about this, the other day I saw a little bit of a movie that was talking about the number of particularly women and girls, but even some men, that are forced into prostitution around the world each year, and the numbers are staggering. And the numbers inside the, the numbers are staggering. And the numbers inside the United States are staggering and I just I have absolutely zero sympathy for reparations based on slavery from prior to our civil war in America. If you're not going to talk about real slavery today, if you really want to end slavery, you're going to talk about abortion and you're going to talk about real slavery today.

Speaker 1:

If you really want to end slavery, you're going to talk about abortion and you're going to talk about human trafficking, sex trafficking and that's it, and otherwise you're just a charlatan, you're just somebody making a show trying to get something out of it for yourself, or you're blindly ignorantly following others who are, or you're blindly ignorantly following others who are. If you really want in the United States, if you really want to focus on fighting slavery, then you ought to be doing everything you can to fight against abortion and against human and sex trafficking. And I guarantee you there's people I 100% guarantee you, there's people in your community that you don't realize, especially kids, perhaps, but even women, who are being used and abused this way. You don't even have to go look that far. You don't have to go to a different city or a different county or a different state. And what's the biggest tool? The biggest tool there, folks, is to help build up your local church. So make sure that your church is a God-fearing church, with a pastor that fears God, and support that pastor and his wife and their children and build that church up.

Speaker 1:

And then look for organizations. There's national organizations. One of them that I have read a little bit about is the Tim Tebow Foundation, and he has a huge weight on his heart to try and fight against sex trafficking. But there's a number of really good organizations out there and I've actually looked at a list of them and I didn't bring it with me to put on this podcast I should have. I will try and do that at a future date. I will try and do that at a future date.

Speaker 1:

But, folks, we have slavery today and it's not based on skin color prior to the Civil War. It's very real today and if you're still hung up on slavery from the Civil War, that says a lot more about your character and your lack of virtue or morals or level of intelligence than it does anything about how you've been treated based on your skin color or how you have treated other people based on your skin color. We have issues, folks, that we can deal with. We don't need to create issues that aren't issues. Let me see that really. That movie really bothered me and I think it ought to bother us all, folks. It ought to bother us a heck of a lot more than it seems to 1 Corinthians 2, I hope. I think that's where we are.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, paul's reliance upon the Spirit. And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God, for I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Guarantee you, we're going to come back and talk about those first two verses right there. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest upon the wisdom of men but on the power of God. Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature, a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory.

Speaker 1:

The wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood For if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory but, just as it is written, things which the eye has not seen and ear has not heard and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him, for to us. God revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Father, search our thoughts, search our inside. Show us what is your will and show us what we do that is not. Cleanse us from all iniquity Through the merit of your Son Jesus Christ and through his sacrifice in his blood. Help us to repent, to truly change our ways and to follow your Son Jesus Christ. In his name we pray Amen. For who among man knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of a man which is in him? Even so, the thoughts of God no one knows except the spirit of God. Now, we have received not the spirit of a man, which is in him, even so, the thoughts of God no one knows except the spirit of God. Now, we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord that he will instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Speaker 1:

There's so much here, folks, and I'm tempted to talk a little bit about all these things, or at least a few of them. There's some of them, quite a few actually, that are above my pay grade, as usual. But as one Christian to another, let me try and offer a little comfort. Most of all, verse nine things which I has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him. Folks, I don't know what heaven is going to look like, but it's going to be awesome. It's going to be on, be beyond anything that we can imagine, anything we have seen or heard, and I've heard what I think are some pretty great analogies. I love CS Lewis his analogy in the Great Divorce that he wrote that book and I love the facial expression on the little mouse from Narnia and the last book and the description there Phenomenal. And yet God tells me that there's no eye that has seen nor ear that has heard what he's prepared for those of us who love Jesus Christ.

Speaker 1:

And how do we love Christ? As a reminder, jesus Christ tells us if you love me, you'll keep my commands, folks, and if we ask God for help keeping his commands each day, he will help us. It doesn't mean we're going to be perfect. You don't have to be perfect. Perfect, I think, is just a pathway to legalism. It's just, it's trying to earn our way into heaven. That's not an excuse to go out and do whatever we want to do all the time, but it is a comfort to know that when we fall short and we all fall short, folks that there's forgiveness, there's grace, there's mercy through Jesus Christ, because we all need him. All right. So verses one and two One I did not come to you with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

Speaker 1:

I need to hear that a lot because I do this podcast. I did not come to you with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. I need to hear that a lot because I do this podcast. Maybe some of you all do too in your own spheres of influence. We don't have to be super smart. We don't have to be the smartest guy in the room, the most eloquent guy in the room or girl. We don't have to have it all figured out how we're going to convince somebody to be Christian. We just have to do the best we can to follow God's commands, to follow his lead and to follow the example that Christ set. And when those opportunities open up folks, you just do the best you can. If somebody comes up to you and they want to talk about Jesus Christ and your faith, and you just talk to them the best you can and you be honest and let God worry about the rest. I know that I am not the most eloquent person in the world. I am definitely not the best debater in the world, right, and so the chance of me sitting there and winning an argument based on my own skills or merit is. It's pretty slim, right.

Speaker 1:

There was a great commentary, I wish I had it. I don't have it in front of me. And there was a great commentary, I wish I had it. I don't have it in front of me, but it was out of a Bible that I just recently bought I think it's the One Year Bible for Men and it was the example where Balaam and his donkey right, if you're familiar with that story and the donkey sees this angel with a sword and he's trying to protect his master and the master's beating him and finally God gives the donkey the ability to talk to his master and be like look, what are you doing? You know, I've never done anything like this, et cetera. It's a great story. If you get a chance, go read it. And the little commentary was like you know, this wasn't a stallion, this wasn't this mighty beast, this was this lowly donkey that God used. And centuries later again, when Jesus is riding into Jerusalem, he uses donkey. God can use any of us folks, no matter how lowly we think we are or how unimportant we think we are. If we are willing to offer our service to God, he can use us and he can do amazing things.

Speaker 1:

Verse two for I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified Folks. That ought to be our goal each day. Way, way, way, particularly way before our denomination, way, way, way, particularly way before our denomination. When somebody asks you what you are before you say Methodist or Baptist or Church of Christ or Lutheran or Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox. Your answer ought to be I'm a Christian, I'm a follower of Christ. I'm reminded of Benjamin Rush's comment. He said I've alternately in my life been accused of being an aristocrat and a democrat. He said I am neither. I am a Christocrat. That ought to be our goal, folks. Christ, jesus, christ alone and him crucified, christ alone and him crucified. And people ought to see so much of Christ in our lives that they're not concerned about what denomination we belong to. And there's a lot of us as Christians that need to remember that. We get so upset about little things that we mar the body of Christ. We make people uninterested because we demand things be a specific way that don't have anything to do with spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. The Eucharist is a great example, folks. The Eucharist is a great example, folks.

Speaker 1:

Whether you believe that Jesus Christ's body and blood are part of the Lord's Supper when you take it is irrelevant, and you trying to force somebody either to admit it or not admit it is not the point. If you think that you're just eating a piece of bread and a cup of grape juice or wine, great. If you think you're actually eating a piece of Jesus Christ's body and his blood, great. Share the gospel, share Jesus Christ. Follow his example. Follow his example. It's very similar to Christians that get in a rabid debate over whether the earth is 6,000 years old or 5 billion years old. Who cares? God still did it. He created it. Whether Genesis is a literal six-day version or whether it's a 5 billionbillion-year-old version is not important. If you want to have those discussions, that's great. If you can have them in a friendly, conversational way. But if you're going to demand that somebody acknowledge your side of the argument, you're missing the whole point.

Speaker 1:

The only thing in Christianity, the central thing, that matters, is Jesus Christ is the only son of God who was fully human and fully man. He died for my sins and yours. God raised him from the dead. He is the only path, the only hope of salvation and eternal life. There is no other. And he is my Lord and Savior. That's who I have for you. That's what I have to offer you. I'm not perfect. I make a lot of mistakes. Y'all have probably noticed some on the podcast. If you're looking for perfect, I'm not it and neither are you Spoiler alert, but I can point you to the guy. That is the only guy that is, and it doesn't matter whether you go in on Sunday and you're eating a wafer and wine or his body and blood, literally. And it doesn't matter whether you think Genesis was six days or whether you think it occurred over five billion years. What matters is he's the only son of God. He lived a perfect, sinless life, the only one. He died for our sins and his sacrifice covers our sins. His blood covers our sins. God raised him from the dead. He's the only hope you have of salvation, the only hope I have of salvation. He is my Lord and Savior. Let me introduce you to him. All right, we will move on.

Speaker 1:

We're going to get back into the sermon from Ezra Stiles and I want you to remember as we read through this folks again, I can't find it. There we go. This was a sermon given by the president of Yale, ezra Stiles, so he was actively the president of the college and he's giving it to the General Assembly of the state of Connecticut and the governor and commander in chief, jonathan Trumbull, as in their political roles. This is not them going to church on a Sunday individually, in chief Jonathan Trumbull, as in their political roles. This is not them going to church on a Sunday individually, this is as a political body. This pastor, this head of this college is giving them the sermon, and this was in 1783, may the 8th, I believe.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the United States, elevated to glory and honor, preached All right. We shall enlarge no further upon the primary sense and eternal accomplishment of this and numerous other prophecies respecting both Jews and Gentiles In the latter day. Glory to the Church. For I have assumed the text only as introductory to a discourse upon the political welfare of God's American Israel and as elusively prophetic to the future prosperity and splendor of the United States. We may then consider one what reason have we to expect that, by the blessing of God, these states may prosper and flourish into a great American republic and ascend into high and distinguished honor among the nations of the earth, to make thee high above all nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honor? Two that our system of dominion and civil polity would be imperfect without the true religion or that from the diffusion of virtue among the people of any community would arise their greatest secular happiness, which will terminate in this conclusion that holiness ought to be the end of all civil government. That thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God. Lord thy God, the first of these propositions will divide itself into two branches and lead us to show 1. Wherein consists the true political welfare and prosperity and what the civil administration necessary for the elevation and advancement of a people to the highest secular glory. 2. For the elevation and advancement of a people to the highest secular glory. Two, the reasons rendering it probable that the United States will, by the ordering of heaven, eventually become this people. But I shall combine these together as I go along.

Speaker 1:

Dominion is founded in property and resides where that is, whether it is the hands of the few or many. Where, that is, whether it is the hands of the few or many. The dominion founded in the feudal tenure of a state is suited to hold a conquered country in subjection, but it is not adapted to the circumstances of free citizens. Large territorial property vested in individuals is pernicious to society. Civilians, in contemplating the principles of government, have judged superior and inferior partition of property necessary in order to preserve the subordination of society and establish a permanent system of dominion. This makes the public defense the interest of a few landholders, only of a few landholders only, before he gets any farther.

Speaker 1:

Folks. That's the whole problem today with property taxes. When you only have a few paying the taxes, then not everybody's interested in what's going on. They don't have any skin in the game right. When the landowners pay the predominance of school taxes, for example, then other people don't have near as much interest in the public defense as if those people actually own their land. Because none of us own our land today, we just rent it from the government. You're much more interested. It's the difference between a slave working land and a man that owns his own land working that same land. You're going to get a lot more out of the free man than you are the slave.

Speaker 1:

A free tenure of lands, an equitable distribution of property, enters into the foundation of a happy state. Enters into the foundation of a happy state so far I mean, as that the body of people may have it in their power by industry to become possessed of real freehold, fee-simple estate. For connected with this will be a general spirit and principle of self-defense, defense of our property liberty country. This has been singularly verified in New England where we have realized the capital ideas of Harrington's Oceana. But numerous population as well as industry is necessary towards giving value to land, to judiciously partitioned territory. The public will requires the encouragement of both.

Speaker 1:

A very inconsiderable value arose from the sparse, thin settlement of the American aboriginals, of whom there are not 50,000 souls on this side of the Mississippi. The Protestant Europeans have generally bought the native right of soil as far as they have settled and paid the value tenfold and are daily increasing the value of the remaining Indian territory a thousandfold. And in this manner we are constant increasing revenue to the Saccums and original lords of the soil. Saccums and original lords of the soil. How much must the value of lands reserved to the natives of North and South America be increased for remaining Indians by the inhabitation of two or three hundred millions of Europeans? Heaven hath provided this country not indeed derelict but only partially settled and consequently open for the reception of a new enlargement. Of japheth, europe was settled by japheth, america is settling from europe, and perhaps this second enlargement bids fair to suppress the first, for we are to consider all the European settlements of America collectively as springing from and transfused with the blood of Japheth Already for ages has Europe arrived into a plenary, if not declining population of 100 millions In two or three hundred years, this second enlargement may cover America with three times that number.

Speaker 1:

If the present ratio of increase continues, with the enterprising spirit of Americans for colonization and removing out into the wilderness and settling new countries, and if Spain and Portugal should adopt that wise regulation respecting the connection of the sexes which would give a spring to population within the tropics equal to that without, there may now be three or four millions of whites or Europeans in North and South America, of which one half are in rapid increase and the rest scarcely keeping their number good without supplies from the parent states. The number of French, spaniards, dutch and Portuguese may be one million souls in all America, although they have transferred their blood into twice the number of Indians. The United States may be two million souls, whites, which have been an increase upon perhaps fewer than 20 or 30,000 families from Europe. Can we contemplate their present and anticipate their future increase and not be struck with astonishment to find ourselves in the midst of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Noah? May we not see that we are the object which the Holy Ghost had in view four thousand years ago when he inspired the venerable patriarch with the visions respecting his posterity. In Europe, westward from Scythia, the residence of the family of Japheth, a branch of the original enlargement extending eastward into Asia and spreading round to the southward of the Caspian, became the ancient kingdoms of Medea and Persia, and thus he dwelt in the tents of Shem, hence the singular and almost identical affinity between the Persic and Teutonic languages through all ages to this day. And now the other part of the prophecy is fulfilling in a new enlargement, not in the tents of Shem, but in a country where Canaan shall be his servant, at least unto tribute. Let me see how much time.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we're going to stop here for today. I think the thing, one of the things, that strikes me again here the most is kind of just Benjamin Franklin's comment about how much knowledge of the Bible our founding generation must have had to be able to sit and listen to a sermon like this and know, automatically know the characters that the preacher was talking about, and how interesting it is that he said in two or three hundred years right, we might be 300 million people, and we are and how much it's tied to God, right that be fruitful and multiply. And a lot of countries need to hear this today and we're one of them. Folks, be fruitful and multiply was not just some random suggestion by God. And you see that in the countries that are dying Japan, china's in a lot of trouble, the Korea, south Korea's in trouble, a lot of places around the world, europe huge problems in most of the countries in Europe. Why? Because we're not following God's command to be fruitful and multiply. All right, we will move on. So we'll get back into Fox's book of the martyrs and we'll see if we can finish up with Mr Lithgow.

Speaker 1:

The time was now so far elapsed, and the hard situation so truly loathsome, that Mr Lithgow waited with anxious expectation for the day which, by putting an end to his life, would also end his torments. But his melancholy expectations were, by the interposition of Providence, happily rendered abortive and his deliverance obtained from the following circumstances it happened that a Spanish gentleman of quality came from Granada to Malaga who, being invited to an entertainment by the governor, he informed him of what had befallen Mr Lifgau from the time of his being apprehended as a spy and described the various sufferings he had endured. He likewise told him that after it was known the prisoner was innocent. It gave him great concern that on this account he would gladly have released him, restored his money and papers and made some atonement for the injuries he had received, but that upon an inspection into his writing, several were found of a very blasphemous nature, highly reflecting on their religion, that on his refusing to abjure these heretical opinions, he was turned over to the Inquisition by whom he was finally condemned.

Speaker 1:

While the governor was relating this tragic tale, a Flemish youth servant to the Spanish gentleman who waited at the table was struck with amazement and pity at the sufferings of the stranger described. On his return to his master's lodgings, he began to resolve in his mind what he had heard, or revolve in his mind what he had heard, or revolve in his mind what he had heard, which made such an impression on him that he could not rest in his bed In the short slumbers he had his imagination painted to him the person described on the rack and burning in the fire. In this anxiety he passed the night and when morning came, without disclosing his intentions to any person whatever, he went into the town and inquired for an English factor. He was directed to the house of a Mr Wilde, to whom he related the whole of what he had heard pass the preceding evening between his master and the governor, but could not tell Mr Lithgow's name. Mr Wilde, however, conjectured it was him by the servant's, remembering the circumstance of his being a traveller and his having had some acquaintance with him. On the departure of the flemish servant, mr wilde immediately sent for the other english factors, to whom he related all the particulars relative to their unfortunate countrymen. After a short consultation, it was agreed that an information of the whole affair should be sent by express to Sir Walter Aston, the English ambassador to the King of Spain. Then, at Madrid. This was accordingly done and the ambassador having presented a memorial to the King and council of spain, he obtained an order for mr lithgow's enlargement and his delivery to the english factor. This order was directed to the governor of malaga and was received with great dislike and surprise by the whole assembly of the bloody inquisition.

Speaker 1:

Mr Mr Lithgow was released from his confinement on the eve of Easter Sunday, when he was carried from his dungeon, on the back of a slave who had attended him, to the house of one, mr Bospick, where all proper comforts were given him. It fortunately happened that there was at this time a squadron of English ships in the road, commanded by Sir Richard Hawkins, who, being informed of the past sufferings and present situation of Mr Lithgow, came the next day ashore with a proper guard and received him from the merchants. He was instantly carried in blankets on board the vanguard and three days after was removed to another ship by direction of the General, sir Robert Mansell, who ordered that he should have proper care taken of him. The factory presented him with clothes and all necessary provisions, besides which they gave him two hundred reels in silver. Sir richard hawkins sent him two double pistols. Before his departure from the spanish coast, sir richard hawkins demanded the delivery of his papers, money, books c.

Speaker 1:

We cannot help making a pause here to reflect how manifestly providence interfered in behalf of this poor man when he was just on the brink of destruction, for by his sentence, from which there was no appeal, he would have been taken in a few days to granada and burnt to ashes and that a poor, ordinary servant, who had not the least knowledge of him nor was any ways interested in his preservation, should risk the displeasure of his master and hazard his own life to disclose a thing of so momentous and perilous a nature to a strange gentleman on whose secrecy depended his own existence? By such secondary means does providence frequently interfere in behalf of the virtuous and oppressed, of which this is a most distinguished example? You have to think there, the story we've talked about this very recently, right Of Balaam again, and the donkey and the commentary. You know, if God can use a donkey, if our Lord and Savior, if Jesus Christ, rode in the town on a donkey, then there's none of us that he can't use. And I think, for myself at least.

Speaker 1:

I often forget that and I think that if I was only in a better situation, only add a more powerful presence situation, if I only had more money, which would pretty much equate to more influence and power, right, but then God could really use me. And I wonder, at least for myself, when I'm trying to be honest with myself, if I really think that or if I just want to use that as an excuse to gain wealth or power or fame or whatever it is that my brain, on that particular day, has decided that I want or need, on that particular day, has decided that I want or need. We don't need to be powerful, rich or famous, to have influence folks to work for God. If you are and you're listening to the podcast, good on you. You know the Latin noblesse. Noblesse, I think, is how you pronounce it. Maybe not, but nobility bears responsibility. Basically, the more God's given, the more is expected. The more God's given, the more is expected. We don't have to be this super rich or powerful or famous person.

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Folks In our circle you know Patrick Henry talked about that Practice virtue yourself and, in your sphere of influence, encourage it in others. Every time you go to church you have a sphere of influence. We used to talk about this on the podcast often. Maybe we should again more often. But the cashier at the grocery store down the road, the barista at the coffee shop that you go to. The cashier at the gas station that you go to each day. If you're a teacher, the children at the school that you work at, your fellow staff members. If you're a lawyer, if you're a lawyer, if you're a plumber, if you're an electrician, if you're a carpenter, if you're a barber, you're a brick mason, whatever it is that you do. If you're a doctor, pediatrician, orthodontist. If you teach golf. If you're a tennis pro, you train martial arts. If you coach volleyball, you have a sphere of influence folks. Practice virtue in yourself and encourage it in others, and spread the gospel in whatever way you can in your sphere of influence.

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After lying 12 days in the road, the ship weighed anchor and in about two months arrived safe at Deptford. The next morning Mr Lithgow was carried on a feather bed to Theobald's in Hertfordshire, where at that time was the king and royal family. His Majesty happened to be that day engaged in hunting, but on his return in the evening Mr Lithgow was presented to him and related the particulars of his sufferings and his happy delivery. The king was so affected at this narrative that he expressed the deepest concern and gave orders that he should be sent to Bath and his wants properly supplied from his royal munificence by these means. Under God.

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After some time Mr Lithgow was restored from the most wretched spectacle to a great share of health and strength. But he lost the use of his left arm and several of the smaller bones were so crushed and broken as to be ever after rendered useless. Notwithstanding every effort was used, mr Lithgow could never obtain any part of his money or effects, though His Majesty and the ministers of state interested themselves. In his behalf, gondomor, the Spanish ambassador, indeed promised that all his effects should be restored, with the addition of 1,000 pounds English money as some atonement for the tortures he had undergone, which last was to be paid him by the governor of Malaga. These engagements, however, were but mere promises, and though the king was a kind of guarantee for the well-performance of them, the cunning Spaniard found means to elude the same. He had indeed too great a share of influence in the English council during the time of that Pacific reign, when England suffered herself to be bullied into slavish compliance by most of the states and kings in Europe, in Europe.

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What a horrific tale, and that's so ends the tale of Mr Lithgow. What a horrific tale, specifically for the history of the church as a whole, and the Roman Catholic Church in particular, that there was ever a time when any denomination approved of torture as a means to get a person to convert, not even to Christianity, to following Christ, but following your particular denomination, but following your particular denomination. And a perfect example of why infallibility is ludicrous and why the idea of one particular denomination, any particular denomination, being the soul, path to Jesus Christ and eternal life, or rather just a salvation and eternal life is completely illogical. There's no way that a body that condones that kind of treatment would be a path to salvation and eternal life. There is only one path to salvation and eternal life One perfect person who was sinless, and that's Jesus Christ. Alright, christ, all right, I think we'll leave it there for today.

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We finished up our tale with Mr Lithgow. He was rescued folks from the very edge of death and, though his body was broken for the rest of his life, it sounds like he was at least cared for by king and country. Another little reminder just there, in that that we have so many people around us in our own backyard that deserve that have a right to our health Pretty easily, arguably, before we go looking anywhere else. Our own family, our own, unless you're going to be a missionary that goes and lives overseas, you know our own community, our own churches, our own schools. There's so many people right here in America. For those of y'all that are in America, listening, and whatever other country around the world England, france, canada, whatever community you're in you have people that need your help. God bless y'all. God bless your families, god bless your marriages, god bless America. God bless your nation. Wherever you are around the world. Listen, folks, we'll talk to y'all again real soon. Looking forward to it.