Just Cause
Proverbs 29:4 exhorts rulers to pursue justice: “By justice a king brings stability to a land,
but a person who demands ‘contributions’ demolishes it” (CSB). Abusing one’s civil authority, such as demanding “contributions” (heavy taxes or bribes), leads to social instability and unjust government action. The American colonists believed parliament and the king “demolished” the stability of the land by demanding taxes they had no constitutional right to claim.
The stamp tax of 1765 was the first time direct taxation of the colonies occurred through an act of parliament. This tax applied to paper goods including legal documents, newspapers, and even playing cards. The stamp tax was followed by others including the infamous tax on tea. To the colonists, the monetary burden was not the main problem.
What they found unacceptable was that a far-off parliament, in which the colonists were not represented, ignored colonial governments while enforcing a direct tax. This was seen as an affront, not to an abstract desire for freedom, but to British constitutional principles. As citizens of Britain, the people’s representatives (the colonial assemblies) held the power of taxation. The British parliament enforcing a tax violated British constitutional norms by engaging in taxation without representation. The British parliament was, ironically, engaging in truly revolutionary activity by seizing power it did not justly possess.
Competent Authority
God-ordained civil government is a good that Paul examines in Romans 13. He opens his treatment with the words: “Let everyone submit to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). In the case of the American Revolution, what was the “governing authority” that was competent and legally authorized to tax?
In the late 18th century, the power of the British government was split between the king, parliament, and colonial assemblies. This formed a constitutionally defined division of authority to be respected by both British citizens and each element of the governing body. Usurpation of authority occurred when one component of this governing structure attempted to take the power which rightfully belonged to another.
The colonists who supported the revolution resisted unjust encroachment on the authority of colonial representative government. By submitting to colonial government, as a rightful and competent authority in the British constitutional system, rather than the king or parliament, colonists engaged in “constitutional resistance against . . . unconstitutional resolves.”[1] They therefore obeyed the spirit of Paul’s instruction in Romans 13.
Last Resort
Preceding his treatment of government, Paul emphasizes the need for Christians to seek peace (Romans 12:18). A key just war principle, last resort, respects the Bible’s emphasis on maintaining peace whenever possible. This principle requires that “all realistic nonviolent alternatives must be exhausted before going to war.”[2] The signers of the Declaration believed they had exhausted all realistic peaceful alternatives.
The Declaration includes a 27-point list of “a long train of abuses and usurpations.” After detailing these facts of abuse, the Declaration states, “In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.” Both parliament and king refused to cease pursuing unjust and unconstitutional seizure of power. Only then did our Founding Fathers sever ties with Britain.
Conclusion
A German observer of the American Revolution, Friedrich von Gentz, wrote, “The revolution of America was (…) a revolution of necessity: England, alone, had by violence effected it: America had contended ten years long, not against England, but against the revolution.”[3] The colonial leaders we celebrate on July Fourth fought against an assault by the parliament and king of Britain on their constitutional rights. Rather than submit to an unjust and revolutionary usurpation of power, they submitted to the governing authority held by the colonial assemblies. In so doing, they justly established the country we celebrate each Independence Day. Believers living 249 years after the founding of our country can learn lessons of Christian citizenship from this dramatic event. Sometimes, even government leaders may act contrary to governing principles and documents. When they do, Christians should submit to the governing authority (i.e. the Constitution) over mere people or parties holding governmental power. Happily, in our context, nonviolent options for displaying such submission abound. However, the example of our Founders’ fidelity to constitutional principles helps guide us as we take seriously Christian citizenship.
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