The American Soul
The American Soul
The Bible must be our primary text if we want to preserve American liberty.
What happens when a nation forgets its spiritual foundations? The American Soul Podcast tackles this question head-on, examining how modern interpretations of "separation of church and state" have strayed dramatically from our founders' intentions.
Through a powerful reading of Revelation 6, Jesse Cope reminds listeners that "there's going to come a point when all the second chances are over," urging spiritual preparedness while there's still time. This urgency underscores the episode's exploration of America's Christian heritage and how it's been systematically erased from public consciousness.
Drawing from historical sources including Supreme Court opinions and founding-era commentaries, Cope demonstrates that the phrase "separation of church and state" appears nowhere in our founding documents. Instead, it was a concept meant to prevent any single denomination from controlling government—not to remove Christianity from public life. Joseph Story's commentary reveals the founders believed "Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the state" and that attempting to "level all religions" would have provoked "universal indignation."
The discussion deepens when examining education, where Fisher Ames—the very author of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause—advocated for the Bible as "the primary text in our schools." This historical reality stands in stark contrast to modern interpretations that have stripped both biblical teaching and proper civic education from American schools.
Between readings from Foxes Book of Martyrs and Medal of Honor citations, Cope weaves a compelling narrative about sacrifice, courage, and the consequences of abandoning our nation's foundational principles. The episode concludes with a sobering reflection on how America cannot continue to violate God's moral law—particularly through abortion—without facing consequences.
Whether you're a history buff, a person of faith, or simply concerned about America's future, this episode offers historical context often missing from contemporary discussions. Subscribe now and join the conversation about reclaiming America's soul through an honest examination of its past.
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, whatever part of the day you're in. I sure do appreciate you joining me and giving me a little bit of your time and attention, a little piece of your day. I know y'all have quite a few things that are probably buying for your attention, so I'm glad that you spend it here. Truly, folks, I am. I appreciate that very much. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast with others, tell others about it, help it to grow, thank you very much. And for those of y'all who continue to pray for guidance, wisdom, perseverance for me and for the podcast, thank you. I'm very, very grateful for your prayers and if you've been here for a while, I'm glad that you have stuck around, and if you're new here, I'm glad you're here. I hope you enjoy it, get something out of it and come back.
Speaker 1:Father, thank you for today. Thank you for you, father, and your Son, jesus Christ, and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love, your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of sins. Thank you for all your many blessings, the ones we admit and the ones we don't, for whatever reason. Thank you for food to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear, cars that run, transportation of whatever kind. Thank you for the people in our lives spouses, kids, parents, friends, family, spouses, kids, parents, friends, family. Thank you for living, for those of us who do, in a place where we can worship your son, jesus Christ, without fear of being tortured, enslaved, raped, pillaged, plundered, executed. And the same for reading your word. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the ability to read it without fear of persecution or execution, simply because we have a copy of your word. Be with those around the world who are suffering for the sake of the name of your son, jesus Christ. Comfort them, whether they're in China or Nigeria or any place in between South America. Bless them, indeed. Give them wisdom and courage and a strong faith. Be with those who are listening to the podcast today. Be with their families. Comfort them, strengthen their marriages, if they're married. Bless them indeed.
Speaker 1:Father, help us to get our priorities in the right order. Get our priorities in your order To follow the commands of your Son, jesus Christ, and therefore to love him. To love you with our whole heart, mind, soul, christ, and therefore to love him, to love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Forgive us when we fall short, when we fail, both as individuals and as a nation. Guide our steps and guide my words here, father, please. In your son's name, we pray, amen.
Speaker 1:Have you made time for God today? Have you made time to read his word? Have you made time to pray? And, if you're married, have you made time for your spouse? Do they know that they actually matter to you at all?
Speaker 1:If I was talking to somebody on X within the past few days and they didn't like something, I said which is not unusual and I responded and this should be the case on this podcast as well. Folks, anytime that you come across something that I say that you don't really like which is fine you ought to check it with the Bible. That ought to be our first response anytime. Whether we find somebody really, whether we find somebody that's saying something that we really like maybe even more importantly then or we find somebody that's saying something that we don't really approve of or don't think is quite right, we need to go back and check with the Bible. What does God say? And that ought to trump the opinions or comments of any man or woman. That's what God says. But how do we know that woman? That's what God says. But how do we know that? How can we possibly even know where to look if we're not spending some time in the Bible each day and really kind of focusing on it? When we do spend time in the Bible, not just reading through it, as I tell you all so often that I struggle with just to get through it and get a check in the box Are we really paying attention to what God's saying? At any rate, we'll move on Revelation 6.
Speaker 1:I think that's where we are. I hope that's where we are, because that's where I'm going to read the first seal, rider on a white horse, on a white horse. Then I saw, when the lamb broke, one of the seven seals and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder Come. I looked and behold a white horse and he who sat on it had a bow and a crown was given to him and he went out conquering and to conquer the Second Seal War. When he broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying Come, and another, a red horse, went out. And to him who sat on it it was granted to take peace from the earth and that men would slay one another, and a great sword was given to him. The Third Seal Famine. When he broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying Come. I looked and behold a black horse and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand and I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying A quart of wheat for a denarius and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not damage the oil and the wine.
Speaker 1:The Fourth Seal Death. When the lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying Come. I looked and behold an ashen horse and he who sat on it had the name Death and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth to kill with the sword and with famine and with pestilence, and by the a fourth of the earth to kill with the sword and with famine and with pestilence, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Speaker 1:The Fifth Seal Martyrs. When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained. And they cried out with a loud voice saying how long, o Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And there was given to each of them a white robe and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed, even as they had also been, would be completed.
Speaker 1:Also, the Sixth Seal Terror. I looked when he broke the sixth seal and there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair and the whole moon became like blood and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. Wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and their commanders, and the rich and the strong, and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains and they said to the mountains and to the rocks fall on us and hide us from the presence of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?
Speaker 1:There's going to come a point when all the second chances are over, folks, and if you think that's scary, it should be. And if you don't think that's scary, it should be. There's going to come a day where we can't ask for any more time, we can't ask for one more chance, and so I can't encourage you enough today, every day, any person you share this podcast with, to look to Christ, to acknowledge that he is the son of God. I choose to believe these things in your heart because it is a choice, folks. You're not going to have proof. Something in front of you, tangible. That's why it's called faith. It's faith in the unseen right. Talking about doubting Thomas. Something in front of you, tangible. That's why it's called faith. It's faith in the unseen right, talking about doubting Thomas. Thomas believed because he could put his hand in Jesus' side in the nail holes, and he saw Jesus. And what did Jesus say? Jesus said blessed are those who believe without seeing, those who believe without seeing.
Speaker 1:Choose to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died for your sins and mine and that God raised him from the dead and that he is the only way. There is no multiculturalism, coexistence nonsense. He's the only way there is no multiculturalism, coexist nonsense. He's the only way to salvation and eternal life. Ask for forgiveness for the sins that you know you've committed and the ones you don't know. Ask for help truly repenting and turning from those sins, folks, and ask God for a stronger faith and help truly loving Christ by following his commands To love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. God will give you help. God will care for your soul, as he cares for mine, and he'll bring us home and we won't have to worry about no more chances. You'll know, and even if you have doubts and fears, folks, that's fine, nobody again, it's faith. You just put your trust in God and know that he'll bring our souls home to him in his timing. All right, home to him in his timing.
Speaker 1:Alright, a little bit of history so. Warren Earl Berger was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1969 to 1986. And part of the 1985 case of Lynch v Donnelly, which said that the city of Pawtucket, rhode Island, could put up a nativity scene. The fact that we even have to say that in america tells you how far we've fallen. And I want to read this and there's a couple reasons why. There is an unbroken history of official acknowledgement by all three branches of government of the role of religion in american life.
Speaker 1:The constitution does not require complete separation of church and state. Constitution. We'll get there in a minute by the Establishment Clause. Indeed, we have observed such hostility would bring us into a war with our national tradition as embodied in the First Amendment's guarantee of the free exercise of religion. So what you see here by 1985 is how much damage had already been done by the 1947 Supreme Court decision of Everson versus Board of Education. You see, this treating all religions the same, which was never the intent of our founders, or the First Amendment, and separation of church and state that phrase, folks, it's really confusing because A it's nowhere in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. You will not find separation of church and state and what that statement meant when our founders were talking about it.
Speaker 1:Jefferson wrote in a letter 13 years after the Constitutional Convention, I think to a Danbury Baptist preacher. But what our founders were concerned about is they did not want what had happened in Europe, what we talk about each day with Fox's Book of the Martyrs, where the state either controlled the church or the church controlled the state. And when they're saying church, they're talking about a particular denomination right Like Protestant or Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodoxy right. And the Protestants, they didn't want the Baptist telling the state that everybody had to be Baptist, or they were going to be executed or tortured or their property confiscated or imprisoned right, which is what had happened in Europe. You can talk about the Anglican Church, you can talk about the Roman Catholic Church, you can talk about orthodoxy, but that relationship between a particular denomination and the state was very corrupting and caused all sorts of evil to be done, and our founders didn't want that.
Speaker 1:But what 1947 did? Is it conflated? It did two things really, or started the path of two things, and that is to say separation of church and state. But to really mean separation of God and state, that's one thing. To pretend that all religions, the gods of the different religions, were all the same and to just treat all the different religions the same, and that was just not at all what our founders intended. And so we're going to read two more quotes to go along with this.
Speaker 1:And again, there's two reasons One, just because we need to talk about it, because we don't, and so we don't understand really freedom of religion and our relationship with God in America today and our relationship with God in America today. But two is, you have to understand that this has been creeping at different speeds, sometimes creeping, sometimes zooming, flying into our society, our cultural understanding of the foundation of our nation, of the foundation of our nation, and in this case, as in a lot of others, it's simply not true. The idea that our founders wanted to treat all religions the same is not true, and the idea that they wanted to kick God and Jesus Christ completely out of the state is not true. So the first one we're going to look at if I can find it quickly, probably can't, so it'll take a minute is some commentary that we go back to so often by Joseph Story, and this is his commentary on freedom of religion, the Constitution of the United States, and the number next to this little section is 1868. That's not the date, folks, that's just the section number and his comments Probably at the time of the adoption of the Constitution and of the amendment to it now under consideration.
Speaker 1:Talking about the First Amendment, the general, if not the universal, sentiment in America was that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the state so far as was not incompatible with the private rights of conscience and the freedom of religious worship. An attempt to level all religions and to make it a matter of state policy to hold all in utter indifference would have created universal disapprobation, if not universal indignation, and the founding of our nation and knew a lot more about that and the founder's intent than most of the people that you hear talking today. The vast majority and he's saying our founders, that whole generation, not just the leaders they didn't, not only did they not want to treat all religions the same, they specifically wanted Christianity to receive encouragement from the state. Perfect example of this is education In any organization. When you educate the people of that organization, whether you're talking about the YM or the employees, you know, whatever it is you're going to teach them, educate them in such a way that it strengthens that institution, that organization. So in America, which was, as Judge Nathaniel Freeman noted, back in 1802, 1803, somewhere in there that I think it was 1802, doesn't really matter, I guess noted that America was a Christian republic, not a pagan secular republic like Rome.
Speaker 1:You need to educate your citizens on those two things which we don't do either today on being Christian or what the principles of Christ are. Not that they have to be Christian folks, but that you educate the citizenry on what the principles of Christ are, because those are the founding principles of our nation. So they need to know that. So you teach them the Bible and then you teach them what a Republican form of government looks like, not a democracy, but a Republican form of government. And of course we don't do either one of those. Well, as you can tell by ourselves and our lack of understanding and knowledge both of the Bible and of Republican form of government.
Speaker 1:That in no way infringes upon a private citizen's right as a parent to bring their child back home and teach them Islam, buddhism, hinduism, judaism. You have to. If you're going to take public money to educate a citizenry, they have to strengthen that nation's core beliefs. You see it across the board core beliefs. You see it across the board. If you're in a like Iran, their children are educated in the Quran. Not agreeing with it, it's completely evil but they're strengthening the foundation of their nation. You go to China, a communist nation. They teach their children state, above all else Again, not agreeing with it, completely evil but they're strengthening their nation, or they're trying to, by strengthening those principles.
Speaker 1:Folks, if you make cookies, if you're a company that sells cookies, you're going to teach your employees all the things that they need to know to make the very best cookies they can make. So if we're going to make citizens with publicly funded education, we have to do all we can to make the very best citizens for our American republic that spreads liberty that we can. And the only way to do that is to primarily educate children on the Bible, first and foremost, and then what it means to be a republic, second. Everything else ought to be secondary in education to those two things Math, science, art, music, athletics. For sure, all of those things ought to be secondary, if not tertiary or quaternary or way down the list behind the Bible first and foremost. And look, the guy that wrote the Establishment Clause, that worded the Establishment Clause, fisher Ames. We talk about that so often. He said the Bible ought to be the primary text in our schools. The Bible ought to be the primary text in our schools. So this idea that we heard from this original quote by Chief Justice Berger right in 1985, you can see how watered down it already is right. And so we've got one more. That was Joseph's story and the other is from Chief Justice Kent, who was the Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, and this is People versus Ruggles, 1811. And we're just going to read a quick quote out of there.
Speaker 1:The free, equal and undisturbed enjoyment of religious opinion, whatever it may be, and free and decent discussions on any religious subject is granted and secured. But to revile with malicious and blasphemous contempt the religion professed by almost the whole community is an abuse of that right. Nor are we bound by any expression in the Constitution, as some have strangely supposed, either not to punish at all or to punish indiscriminately the like attacks upon the religion of Muhammad or of the Grand Lama, and for this plain reason that the case assumes that we are a Christian people and the morality of this country is deeply engrafted upon Christianity and not upon the doctrines or worship of those imposters. So the first thing is somebody is going to say well, we're not a majority Christian nation anymore. We certainly don't act like it In profession. I don't know, I think we still are, but we certainly don't act like it. You're right.
Speaker 1:But the bottom line is the only way to have liberty and freedom in this American nation is to be a majority Christian people. If the Muslims could have done it over the last several centuries, they would have. If the communists, socialists, atheists could have done it, they would have. They've had total power. They've had opportunity. You make the same comment about the Roman Catholic Church. If they could have created a country where liberty truly flourished and spread, they would have. They had total power. You don't get that anywhere else in the world. If the Jews they could have, they had the opportunity. They just decided they didn't want to listen to God, but they didn't.
Speaker 1:The only place throughout the entire history of the world where you really get this wellspring of liberty is in America, not because we're so great, fast, pretty strong, smart, but because of our relationship with God and Jesus Christ. And so he tells us a couple of important things here. One, you don't have a right to malign or blaspheme Jesus Christ in America. It's not something you get to do, despite what we say today. And two, we have no responsibility to not punish people that do decide to malign or blaspheme Jesus Christ Not in the Constitution. And we also don't have any responsibility to treat Islam or Buddhism or Hinduism or Judaism the same as we do Christianity. None of those produce liberty. Christianity does.
Speaker 1:And so all of those pieces put together, folks, we've fallen a long way. We don't know our own history and it shows so. Just some thoughts there. We will move on. We're going to get into, if I can find it, medal of Honor. We'll see where we pick up there. I think we ended with Thomas Baker and so we're going to go to Vernon Joseph Baker, first Lieutenant World War II Weapons, platoon Charlie Company, 370th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division, us Army.
Speaker 1:April 5-6, 1945, near Castle, agnepley, germany, citation as follows For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, first Lieutenant Vernon J Baker distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 5 and 6 April 1945. 6th April 1945. At 0500 hours on 5 April 1945, lieutenant Baker advanced at the head of his weapons platoon, along with Company C's three rifle platoons toward their objective, castle Ophi, a German mountain strongpoint on the high ground just east of the coastal highway and about two miles from the 370th Infantry Regiment's line of departure. Moving more rapidly than the rest of the company, lieutenant Baker and about 25 men reached the south side of a draw, some 250 yards from the castle within two hours. In reconnoitering for a suitable position to set up a machine gun, lieutenant Baker observed two cylindrical objects pointing out of a slit and a mount at the edge of a hill. Crawling up and under the opening, he stuck his M1 into the slit and emptied the clip, killing the observation post's two occupants. Moving to another position in the same area, lt Baker stumbled upon a well-camouflaged machine gun nest, the crew of which was eating breakfast. He shot and killed both enemy soldiers.
Speaker 1:After Captain John F Runyon, company Charlie's commander, joined the group, a German soldier appeared from the draw and hurled a grenade which failed to explode. Lieutenant Baker shot the enemy soldier twice as he tried to flee. Lieutenant Baker then went down into the draw alone. There he blasted open the concealed entrance of another dugout with a hand grenade, shot one German soldier, who emerged after the explosion, tossed another grenade into the dugout and entered, firing his submachine gun, killing two more Germans. As Lieutenant Baker climbed back out of the draw. Enemy machine gun and mortar fire began to inflict heavy casualties among the group of 25 soldiers, killing or wounding about two-thirds of them.
Speaker 1:When expected reinforcements did not arrive, captain Runyon ordered a withdrawal in two groups. Lieutenant Baker volunteered to cover the withdrawal of the first group, which consisted mostly of walking wounded, and to remain to assist in the evacuation of the more seriously wounded. During the second group's withdrawal, lieutenant Baker, supported by covering fire from one of his platoon's members, destroyed two machine gun positions previously bypassed during the assault with hand grenades previously bypassed during the assault with hand grenades. In all, lieutenant Baker accounted for nine enemy dead soldiers elimination of three machine gun positions, an observation post and a dugout. On the following night, lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy minefields and heavy fire toward the division objective. Lieutenant Baker's fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his men and exemplify the highest traditions of the military service Accredited to Cheyenne, laramie County, wyoming, not awarded.
Speaker 1:Posthumously Presented January 13, 1997 at the White House East Ballroom by President William J Clinton, 1997 at the White House East Ballroom by President William J Clinton. Born December 17, 1919, cheyenne, laramie County, wyoming, united States. Died July 13, 2010,. St Marius, idaho, united States. Buried Arlington National Cemetery, arlington Virginia, united States.
Speaker 1:I'm always interested about these Medal of Honors that are given so far after the date of action. Right, this one was given in 1997, and the date of action was 1945. You have to wonder about why that is about, why that is, why were there 50 years in between the date of the action and the presentation or awarding of a medal as important to our nation as the Medal of Honor? And I'm afraid that none of the options are really great options, but I'll leave you all to think about that. Vernon, joseph Baker. John H John Henry Balk. Ranked Pharmacist, mate, first Class Highest Ranked Commander World War I, 6th Regiment US Marines.
Speaker 1:Us Navy Medal of Honor. Action Date October 5, 1918. Place October 5, 1918. Place Viserie and Somme-Fay-France. For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, with the 6th Regiment US Marines In action at Verzi on 19 July 1918, balk unhesitatingly and fearlessly exposed himself to terrific machine gun and high explosive fire to succor the wounded as they fell in the attack, leaving his dressing station voluntarily and keeping up the work all day and late into the night, unceasingly for 16 hours. Also in the action at Soam Phi on 5 October 1918,. He exhibited exceptional bravery in establishing an advanced dressing station under heavy shell fire.
Speaker 1:Accredited to Kansas City, clay County, missouri, not awarded. Posthumously presented October 1919, great Lakes Naval Station. Presented by Admiral William A Moffitt, born January 2, 1896, edgerton, johnson County, kansas, united States. Died October 15, 1980, sun City, california, united States. Buried Riverside National Cemetery MH2, TAC 1925, riverside, california, united States.
Speaker 1:You have to wonder the same question again right under the same question, again right. This one, as so many of them are, are awarded within a year, two years, five years at the most. Why are some of them decades later? And the other interesting thing that you have noticed as we've been reading through these, probably, is that we seem to become much more long-winded in our citations the closer we get to the present day. This citation is extremely brief when you compare it to the one we just read before, given in 1997, 80 years later. Give or take right. Just interesting. John Henry Balk and Vernon J Baker Definitely a couple names that we would do well to remember, definitely a couple names that we would do well to remember and their stories and teach them more than so many others that we focus on these days, all right Foxes Book of the Martyrs, and we are in the Bartholomew Massacre at Paris, which is in Chapter 4 under papal persecutions.
Speaker 1:We'll pick up where we left off At Augusta Bonner, on the people hearing of the massacre at Paris, they shut their gates that no Protestants might escape and searching diligently for every individual of the Reformed Church imprisoned and there barbishly murdered them. Same cruelty they practiced at Avaricum, at Troyes, at Thaloise, Rowan and many other places running from city to city, towns and villages through the kingdom. As a corroboration of this horrid carnage, the following interesting narrative, written by a sensible and learned Roman Catholic, appears in this place with peculiar propriety the nuptials, says he, of the young king of Navarre, with the French king's sister, was solemnized with pomp, and all the endearments, all the assurances of friendship, all the assurances of friendship, all the oaths sacred among men were profusely lavished by Catherine, the Queen, mother, and by the King, during which the rest of the court thought of nothing but festivities, plays and masquerades. At last, at twelve o'clock at night, on the eve of St Bartholomew, the signal was given Immediately all the houses of the Protestants were forced open at once.
Speaker 1:Admiral Poligny, alarmed by the uproar, jumped out of bed when a company of assassins rushed in his chamber. They were headed by one, besme, who had been bred up as a domestic in the family of the Geises. This wretch thrust his sword into the admiral's breast and also cut him in the face. Besme was a German and being afterwards taken by the Protestants. Me was a German, and being afterwards taken by the Protestants. The Rocklers would have bought him in order to hang and quarter him, but he was killed by one, bretonville Henry, the young Duke of Guise, who afterwards framed the Catholic League and was murdered at Blois. Standing at the door till the horrid butchery should be completed, called aloud Bess, me is it done? Immediately after which, the ruffians threw the body out of the window and Polygny expired at Gus's feet. Count de Polygny also fell a sacrifice. He had married about ten months before Polygny's daughter. His countenance was so engaging that the ruffians, when they advanced in order to kill him, were struck with compassion, but others, more barbarous, rushing forward, murdered him.
Speaker 1:In the meantime, all the friends of Coligny were assassinated throughout Paris. Men, women and children were were promiscuously slaughtered. Every street was strewed with expiring bodies. Some priests, holding up a crucifix in one hand and a dagger in the other, ran to the chiefs of the murderers and strongly exhorted them to spare neither relatives, neither relations nor friends. Tavanus, marshal of France, an ignorant, superstitious soldier who joined the fury of religion to the rage of the party, rode on horseback through the streets of Paris crying to his men Let blood. Let blood Bleeding is as wholesome in August as in May. In the memoirs of the life of this enthusiastic, written by his son, we are told that, the father being on his deathbed and making a general confession of his actions, the priest said to him with surprise what no mention of St Bartholomew's massacre. To which Tivanus replied I consider it as a meritorious action that will wash away all my sins Such horrid sentiments and a false spirit of religion inspire.
Speaker 1:The king's palace was one of the chief scenes of the butchery. The king of Navarre had his lodgings in the Louvre and all his domestics were Protestants. Many of these were killed in bed with their wives. Others, running away naked, were pursued by the soldiers through the several rooms of the palace, even to the king's antechamber. The young wife of Henry of Nevers, awakened by the dreadful uproar, being afraid for her consort and for her own life, seized with horror and, half dead, flew from her bed in order to throw herself at the feet of the king. Her brother, half-dead, flew from her bed in order to throw herself at the feet of the king her brother, but scarce had. She opened the chamber door when some of her Protestant domestics rushed in for refuge. The soldiers immediately followed, pursued them in sight of the princess and killed one who crept under the bed. Two others, being wounded with halberds, fell at the queen's feet so that she was covered with blood.
Speaker 1:Count de la Ruffacult, the young nobleman, greatly in the king's favor for his comely air, his politeness and a certain peculiar happiness in the turn of his conversation, had spent the evening till eleven o'clock with the monarch in pleasant familiarity and had given a loose, with the utmost mirth, to the sallies of his imagination. The monarch felt some remorse and, being touched with a kind of compassion, bid him two or three times not to go home but lie in the Louvre. The count said he must go to his wife, upon which the king pressed him no further and said Let him go. I see God has decreed his death. And in two hours after he was murdered, very few of the Protestants escaped the fury of their enthusiastic persecutors. Among these was a young La Force afterwards the famous Marshal de la Force a child about ten years of age whose deliverance was exceedingly remarkable. His father, his elder brother and himself were seized together by the Duke of Ingeau's soldiers. Those murderers flew at all three and struck them at random when they all fell and lay one upon another. All three and struck them at random when they all fell and lay one upon another. The youngest did not receive a single blow but, appearing as if he was dead, escaped the next day and his life, thus wonderfully preserved, lasted four score and five years.
Speaker 1:Many of the wretched victims fled to the waterside and some swam over the scene to the suburbs of St Germain. The king saw them from his window, which looked upon the river, and fired upon them with a carbine that had been loaded for that purpose by one of his pages, while the queen mother, undisturbed and serene in the midst of slaughter, looking down from a balcony, encouraged the murderers and laughed at the dying groans of the slaughter. This barbarous queen was fired with a restless ambition and she perpetually shifted her party in order to satiate it. Some days after this horrid transaction, the French court endeavored to palliate it by forms of law, paliated by forms of law. They pretended to justify the massacre by calumny and accused the admiral of a conspiracy which no one believed. The parliament was commanded to proceed against the memory of Baligny and his dead body was hung in chains on Mount Bcon Gallos. The king himself went to view this shocking spectacle when one of his courtiers advising him to retire and complaining of the stench of the corpse, he replied a dead enemy smells well. The massacres on St Bartholomew's Day are painted in the Royal Salon at the Vatican at Rome with the following inscription Pontifex Pellugni Nessium Probat, ie. The Pope approves of Pellugni's death. Remember that just in life and in conversation. The Pope approves of Caligny's death.
Speaker 1:The young king of Navarre was spared through policy rather than from the pity of the queen mother See keeping him prisoner till the king's death in order that he might be as a security and pledge for the submission of such Protestants as might affect their escape. This horrid butchery was not confined merely to the city of Paris. The like orders were issued from court to the governors of all the provinces of France, so that in a week's time about 100,000 Protestants were cut to pieces in different parts of the kingdom. Two or three governors only refused to obey the king's order. One of these, named Montmorenne, governor of Auvergne, wrote the king the following letter, which deserves to be transmitted to the latest posterity Sire, I have received an order under your majesty's seal to put to death all the Protestants in my province. I have too much respect for your majesty not to believe the letter of forgery. But if, which, god forbid, the order should be genuine, I have too much respect for your majesty to obey it. At Rome, the horrid joy was so great that they appointed a day of high festival and a jubilee with great indulgence to all who kept it and showed every expression of gladness they could devise, and a man who first carried the news received a thousand crowns of the cardina of Lorraine for his ungodly message. The king also commanded that the day be kept with every demonstration of joy, concluding now that the whole race of Huguenots was extinct.
Speaker 1:Many who gave great sums of money for their ransom were immediately after slain, and several towns which were under the king's promise of protection and safety were cut off as soon as they delivered themselves up on those promises to his generals or captains. At Bordeaux, at the instigation of a villainous monk who used to urge the papists to slaughter in his sermons. 264 were cruelly murdered, some of them senators were cruelly murdered, some of them senators. Another of the same pious fraternity produced a similar slaughter at Indusium in Maine, where the populace, at the Holy Inquisitor's satanical suggestion, ran upon the Protestants, slew them, plundered their houses and pulled down their church. Their houses and pulled down their church. The duke of Gize, entering into Blossi, suffered his soldiers to fly upon the spoil and slay or drown all the Protestants they could find In this. They spared neither age nor sex, defiling the women and then murdering them. From whence he went to Myr and committed the same outrages for many days together. Here they found a minister named Kasbonus and threw him into the river, trying to see how long we've gone on here, folks. Yeah, We'll switch over to. We'll come back to this. It's got a little bit more. We'll go to Ms Warren's history of the rise, progress and termination of the American Revolution.
Speaker 1:The prediction of both sides of the Atlantic that this combination, which depended wholly on the commercial part of the community, could not be of long duration, proved indeed too true. So they're talking about the. Be of long duration proved indeed too true. So they're talking about the well, my brain just went away. But not buying goods, boycott of British goods. A regard to private interest ever operates more forcibly on the bulk of mankind than the ties of honor or the principles of patriotism, and when the latter are incompatible with the former, the principles of patriotism and when the latter are incompatible with the former, the balance seldom hangs long in equilibrium. Thus it is not uncommon to see virtue, liberty, love of country and regard to character sacrificed at the shrine of wealth. That's a heck of a sentence right there, folks. You can definitely see that today in so many different ways. Thus it is not uncommon to see virtue, liberty, love of country and regard to character sacrificed at the shrine of wealth.
Speaker 1:The winter, following this salutary combination, a partial repeal of the act imposing duties on certain articles of British manufacture took place. On this, it immediately appeared that some in New York had previously given conditional orders to their correspondents that if the measures of Parliament should in any degree be relaxed, that without further application they should furnish them with large quantities of goods. Several in the other colonies had discovered as much avidity for an early importation as the yorkers. They had given similar orders and both received larger supplies than usual of british merchandise early in the spring of 1769. The people of course considered the agreement nullified by the conduct of the merchants, and the intercourse with England for a time went on as usual, without any check. Thus, by breaking through the agreement within the limited time of restriction, a measure was defeated which, had it been religiously observed, might have prevented the tragical consequences which ensued, consequences which ensued After this event.
Speaker 1:A series of altercation and abuse, of recrimination and suspense was kept up on both sides of the Atlantic, without much appearance of lenity on one side or decision on the other. There appeared little disposition in Parliament to relax the reins of government, and less the americans to yield implicit obedience. But whether from an opinion that they had taken the lead in opposition, or whether from their having a greater proportion of british sycophants among themselves whose artful insinuations operated against their country, or from other concurring circumstances, the Massachusetts was still the principal butt of ministerial resentment. It is therefore necessary yet to continue a more particular detail of the situation of that province. As their charter was not yet annihilated, governor Bernard found himself under a necessity, as the period of annual election approached, to issue writs to convene a general assembly.
Speaker 1:Accordingly, a new House of Representatives met at Boston, as usual on May 31, 1769. They immediately petitioned the governor to remove the military parade that surrounded the state house, urging that such a hostile appearance might overawe there convened as a breach of privilege and totally inconsistent with the dignity and freedom with which they ought to deliberate and determine, adding that they meant ever to support their constitutional rights, that they should never voluntarily recede from their just claims, contained both in the letter and spirit of the Constitution. After several messages from both the Council and House of Representatives, the governor, ever obstinate, in error declared he had no authority over the king's troops, nor should he use any influence to have them removed. Journals of the House, 1769. Thus, by express acknowledgment of the first magistrate, it appeared that the military was set so far above the civil authority that the latter was totally unable to check the wanton exercise of this newly established power in the province. But the assembly preemptorily determined to do no business, while thus insulted by the planting of cannon at the doors of the statehouse and interrupted in their solemn deliberations by the noisy evolutions of military discipline.
Speaker 1:Man, I don't know why. This popped in my head when I was reading this last paragraph, man Constitution, but the thought occurs to me that we've been voluntarily giving up constitutional rights for millions of our citizens for decades now, and that's the right to life given by God. It's impossible to think, either from a secular point of view or from a religious point of view, that a nation can continue to survive when they slaughter their own citizens. From the secular point of view, and then from God, there's no possible way to assume that God is going to allow us to continue to slaughter our own citizens without consequences, without justice, and that ought to make us tremble, as Jefferson said so long ago for our country. God bless y'all. God bless your families. God bless your marriages, if you're married. God bless America. God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world. Listen, we'll talk to y'all again real soon. Folks Looking forward to it.