Founding Fathers Who Were Ministers 5

Election Sermons were preached before most, if not every Founding Father from New England as well as many Founders in other parts of the country. This was the longest-lasting traditional annual sermon in America and its use continued throughout the 19th century. Last week I gave you #1 of 7 common occasions where in addition to regular Sunday morning sermons, pastors had other venues to educate Americans in the Biblical principles of liberty.

#2. The Weekday Lecture. The community-wide weekly lecture offered regular training on applying Biblical principles to pressing problems of the day. This tradition began in Boston in 1633 when the Rev. John Cotton provided Thursday lectures discussing current social and political issues. The practice spread to other communities and colonies, and continued for centuries. Ministers showed citizens that the Bible and its principles were relevant to everything in daily life, including economics, government, education, business, family and faith.

#3. The Artillery Sermon. These sermons, delivered to the state military on the annual election of their officers, addressed issues of relevance to the military. They covered topics such as what constitutes a just war, the sin of cowardice, the character and courage of a soldier, the necessity of a militia, and other relevant topics.

Content sourced from The American Story The Beginnings by David Barton and Tim Barton