Colonial Pastors in Public Affairs - Rev. John Wise P6

Last week I began talking about the Rev. John Wise being a key leader opposing Edmund Andros, the man Britain’s King James II sent to be governor over all the colonies and Andros trying to seize the charters of eight New England colonies, revoke their representative governments, and force them into a single unified colony under his control.

An example of Rev. Wises opposition was when Andros attempted to unilaterally impose taxes upon the people by completely bypassing their elected legislative representatives, Wise spoke out forcefully against the plan and organized resistance to it. In response, Andros arrested Wise, removed him from his pastorate, imprisoned him, and imposed a hefty fine on him. Judge Joseph Dudley, an ally of Andros, then held Wise in prison, refusing Wise’s lawful right of habeas corpus.

Habeas Corpus, Latin for “you shall have the body” is a legal order requiring a prisoner to be physically — that is, in the body — brought before a judge. This right ensures that individuals cannot be unlawfully jailed or wrongly imprisoned such as for a non-criminal, politically motivated arrest, unless charges are brought against them. If charges are pressed, the accused then has a right to a fair and speedy trial. Governor Andros arrogantly ignored these Biblically informed common law practices. 

Content Sourced from The American Story, The Beginnings by Dave Barton & Tim Barton