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Timeline of Important Events
From Moses, leading up to the U.S. Constitution
1500 MOSES & THE LAW
The first Representative form of government - Exodus 18:17-23
Choose men (representatives) from among yourselves
Moses: Civil Ruler Aaron: Head of Church
JESUS CHRIST, FOCAL POINT OF HISTORY
All history up until now looks forward to Christ
After is a result, effect, of Christ's coming and dying for us (The Gospel)
65 PAUL
Macedonian Call Acts 16: The Gospel moving westward
430 PATRICK (English ~ kidnapped by Irish)
Patrick wrote Liber Ex Lege Moisi (Book of the Law of Moses)
Applies law of Moses to society (biblical principles)
Applied by local chieftains or kings throughout Ireland
Emphasized the rule of law and local self-government
890 ALFRED THE GREAT
Codified the Laws of Moses, using Patrick's Book of the Law of Moses
Establishing the 10 Commandments as the basis of law
The kings were elected, not hereditary; This was the origin of Common Law.
The Norman, William the Conqueror, established royal dynasty in 1066, destroying the rights of the people
1215 MAGNA CHARTA
Due to the Norman system of government that removed the rights of the people, kings abused the people, barons as well as commoners.
English barons drew up a contract, written by clergyman Stephen Langton.
They forced King John to sign it.
The Magna Charta held the principle that king and people are under the law.
Both Englishman and American colonists cited the Magna Charta as a source of their freedom.
Liberty is seen as government granted, but this is the first step to limit gov.
Trial by Jury; property rights
1382 JOHN WYCLIFFE
"The Scripture must become the common property of all"
This view challenged the power of popes/kings over people.
He was kicked out of Oxford, he used his time to write Bible.
Translated the whole Bible from Latin into English, 1st time since Latin
O.T. = Hebrew N.T. = Greek, due to Alex the Great, then Romans=Latin
1400 GUTENBURG
First printed Bible
1492 COLUMBUS
"discovers" America for Spain (Ferdinand & Isabella) Catholic
God preserves North America for Reformed thinkers
1517 MARTIN LUTHER (saved by Grace = Reformation)
Challenged the Pope/kings teachings
Kicked out of church, while hiding wrote Bible in German.
1530 JOHN CALVIN
Applied Bible to civil government in Geneva, Switzerland
Reformers (protesters) from Scotland, England, France came to Geneva
Wrote the Geneva Bible – margin notes on applying biblical principles
1534 KING HENRY VII
Divorce Catherine, marry Anne Bolynn-Pope said NO
Act of Supremacy renounced England's attachment to Rome and established the Church of England (Anglican) with Henry as head
Protestant/Catholic
1547 KING EDWARD
Supported Reformers/Protestants
1553 BLOODY MARY
Killed Protestants, tried to go back under Pope
1558 QUEEN ELIZABETH
Allowed some reform in Anglican Church
Reformers wanted a Biblical church-NT church (Called Puritans=purify church of England)
1560 JOHN KNOX in Scottland
Brought reformation to Scotland
1588 THE SPANISH ARMADA
Sir Francis Drake British commander, also 1st Englishman to sail around world
1607 PILGRIMS GO TO HOLLAND
Separated
King James, hearing of Pilgrims' arrival in Leyden, sent letter to authorites. Jan Van Hout gave polite reply but did nothing. from the church of England in 1603 when James I became King, they suffered persecution. No one allowed to leave England w/out permission so they left secretly (took several attempts)
Holland allowed freedom to worship
1611 KING JAMES BIBLE
The King James Bible, 1st with no notes of interpretation, James didn't want anyone to say anything against his authority
1620 PILGRIMS
The Mayflower compact was a seed of self-government planted. It was the 1st American Christian document of government, our birth certificate.
Pastor John Robinson taught the Pilgrims about self-government. This is the planting of the seed of self-government which came to fruition in the Declaration of Independence.
1630-43 THE GREAT PURITAN EXODUS
Persecuted by King Charles I
1641 THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
1628- leading up to war: the "Petition of Rights", acknowledging that the Magna Charta and the English Common Law placed the king under the rule of the law of nature, God's law.
Parliament forced Charles I, who was trying to come under the Pope again, to sign.
Magna Charta stated that king could only tax with the people's permission (by reps in Parliament), Charles said too bad; imprisoned nobles that challenged him.
They petitioned the king to obey the Magna Charta in the Petition of Rights. They still saw rights as given by the civil government, not God.
1643 Westminster Confession
Parliamentary forces desired to call a convention of English clergymen to discuss the government of the Church of England.
Samuel Rutherford was at convention held Westminster in spite of the objections of Charles I.
Resulting document affirms Protestant commitment to Bible as the ultimate authority and discusses the relationship between church and state, "God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to His Word in matters of faith or worship. The requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason."
A century later James Madison, chief architect of the Constitution, including the 1st Amendment, studied the Westminster Confession closely. The Westminster Confession had a vast influence on our young nation.
1644 Samuel Rutherford
Writes Lex Rex (Law is King) disclaiming "divine right" of kings
1649 Charles I beheaded
1653-1658 Oliver Cromwell
Leader of Parliamentary force fighting Charles I and then Lord Protector (didn't want to be king)
Limited government's use of force to only dealing with outward acts that harm others.
Protestant Parliament cited Rutherford's "Lex Rex": "The purpose of having kings or any other governors is for the enjoying of justice" (protection of law).
There was no strong leader after Cromwell and Charles II was crowned king in 1660.
1683 ALGERNON SIDNEY
Wrote Discourses Concerning Government
1688 THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION
James II was dethroned. John Knox wrote "Treatises of Government" defending the dethroning. He later helped write the Fundamental Constitutions for Carolina in 1669. William & Mary ruled as a compromise, some could not adjust to the idea of no king at all and yet William and Mary put at ease those that wanted no king. They were given the power to rule by the people, finally the source of governing came from the people.
1776 THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
The American Revolution was fought because King George III and Parliament were not obeying their own law. The Declaration reflects the Founders' faith in God. It was a result of Biblical ideas that had been sown in the hearts of the colonists for 150 years. The American Revolution was a revolution of ideas long before it was a revolution of war. Clergy and other leaders taught the colonists their God-given rights as men, Christians, and subjects, the inevitable result was a nation birthed in liberty. The Declaration made inalienable rights truly the basis of government, going further than the British approach. Jefferson drew heavily from Coke and Blackstone. Blackstone's Commentaries were among Jefferson's favorite books. Blackstone applied Biblical principles to civil government. Blackstone: "As man depends absolutely upon his maker for every thing, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his maker's will. This will of his maker is called the law of nature." According to Blackstone, all human laws depended either upon that unwritten law (law of nature) or upon the Bible. The final line of the Declaration invokes "the protection of Divine Providence." The Founders understood Divine Providence as God's care for and control of the world. He was involved in the universe as a whole as well as their personal affairs. Finally a document establishing God as the giver of all our rights.
1787 THE CONSTITUTION
The chief architect was James Madison. The entire Constitution rested on a Puritan view of human sinfulness, which needed to be kept in check through a balance of governmental powers. Representative government is from Exodus 18:17-23. The Constitution establishes only 18 powers in the national government in Article 1, Section 8. Then it declares these powers off-limits to the states in Section 10. But then it reserves every other undefined power to the states in the 10th amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." These 18 powers cannot be(aren't supposed to be) altered except by amendment to the Constitution. Then these few and limited powers of the national government into 3 branches. Separation of powers is how God rules Ps.33:2. Madison, "The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands whether of one, a few, or many…may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny." Montesquieu is cited as a source for this separation of powers, Montesquieu made these 3 divisions because that is how the Bible defines God's gov of the Universe. These 3 elements grew out of the 3 different patterns of church government in the colonies for 150 years prior to the forming of the Constitution:
The Congregationalists emphasized the rule of many – the northern colonies, being influenced greatly by Reformed Presbyterianism, established more aristocratic governments.
The Presbyterians emphasized the rule of a few elders – the middle colonies, being mostly Episcopalian, established "Royal Provinces" which were a form of monarchy (keep in mind God's kingdom is a monarchy…with a benevolent ruler.
The Episcopalians emphasized the rule of one from the top down – the southern colonies settled predominantly by Congregationalists, established a form of democracy.
God allowed these geographical groupings to taste the strengths and weaknesses of their particular form of government before bringing them together through the Revolution. Our national government, specifically the first three Articles of the Constitution – is a reflection of church government. Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, alone are not the model found in the New Testament, only a blend of the three have balanced Biblical Christian church government. Federalism is the principle that most powers should be decentralized among state and local governments, but a few defined powers are delegated to a national government. Madison, "The powers delegated by the Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." The Constitution establishes a dual form of government – both national and state governments having supreme authority over their defined areas of jurisdiction.
