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Front Page Article
"The Lenses of Reformation Concerning Mayflower Compact" by Dr. Patti Amsden The Mayflower Compact, although based upon the Pilgrim’s religious foundations, was a civil document forged by the Pilgrims for the purpose of forming a governmental body that included the whole compliment of the ship’s passengers, including the two-thirds of the new colonizers who were not part of the Leyden Congregation. The covenantal document began in the name of God, next listed the names of all the signers, and finally listed the name of King James. The sequence set a precedent for the organization and structure of the civil realm. Formerly, government was viewed to be in the name of and for the purposes of the King. This compact was enacted without the permission of the King.
Reformation lens #1 – Government is ordained by God and not by the edicts of a King nor by the consent of the rulers. By observing the sequence of the names presented in the Mayflower Compact, one notes that the names of the governed were listed after the name of God but before the name of the King. The essence of this order was a proclamation of individual self-government under God rather than imposed governance from a King, which was known as the divine right of kings. The Compact stressed that rule, which the King would exercise, was by the consent of the governed. This was a radical departure from the European model of kings and their subjects. The phrase "consent of the governed" appears in the Declaration of Independence. Reformation lens #2 – Government is deemed legitimate and has the moral right to use state power when its authority is derived from the people or society over which that political power is exercised. The Mayflower compact bound its signers into a pledge to abide by any laws and regulations that would later be established for the general good of the colony. Thus, the compact set into the civil foundations of the nation the rule of law. According to the Oxford dictionary, the rule of law is, "The authority and influence of law in society, especially when viewed as a constraint on individual and institutional behavior; (hence) the principle whereby all members of a society (including those in government) are considered equally subject to publicly disclosed legal codes and processes." Reformation lens #3 – A civil government must be based upon the rule of law, which means just and equal laws for all those in the society, all citizens, all those who govern, and all who visit in the land. As reformers, we recognize that the Mayflower Compact laid a foundation for government that was reflected in future civil documents including the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. As we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ landing and the signing of the Mayflower Compact, we must renew that covenant. We must first return to God’s principles, secondly apply citizenship covenant, and only thirdly place our trust in power from the civil realm. The Mayflower Compact denies absolute sovereign power in the hands of a monarchy, an oligarchy, or autocracy. Believers must stand against the tyranny of the civil realm when it seeks to set up systems that overthrow the rule of law for the fiat words of the ruler. May the elections of 2020 yield results that harmonize with the Mayflower Compact! |
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March, 2019 |
