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Memorial to the Inhabitants of the British Colonies - The First Continental Congress · Voices Of Life

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  Today, Pastor David guides us through a solemn
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  and powerful message adopted on October 21st,
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  1774. The Memorial to the Inhabitants of the
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  British Colonies, written by the First Continental
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  Congress addressed to the people of America,
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  calling them to unity, vigilance, and courage
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  in a moment of national crisis. Friends, welcome
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  to Voices of Life podcast, a ministry of the
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  Church for Life. I'm Pastor David. Today we step
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  into a moment of deep concern and deep conviction.
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  It is October 21st, 1774. The delegates of the
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  First Continental Congress have gathered in Philadelphia.
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  The colonies are wounded. The liberties of the
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  continent are threatened. And the future of America
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  hangs in the balance. On this day, Congress adopts
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  a message, not to Britain, not to Parliament,
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  but to the people of the colonies themselves.
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  A memorial, a warning, a call to unity, a call
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  to courage, a call to stand firm for the rights
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  God has given and history has confirmed. This
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  is the memorial to the inhabitants of the British
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  colonies. The Congress begins by speaking plainly.
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  The times are perilous. The liberties of America
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  are in danger. For years, Parliament has imposed
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  measures that violate the rights of free -born
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  subjects. Taxes without representation, courts
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  altered without consent, governors empowered
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  beyond constitutional bounds, armies stationed
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  among us in times of peace. and the port of boston
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  closed as a warning to all these are not isolated
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  acts they are a form of system a deliberate plan
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  to bring the colonies into submission by force
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  rather than affection the congress writes to
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  awaken the people to stir vigilance to call the
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  continent to attention the memorial reminds the
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  people that the colonies have never sought separation
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  they have fought for britain's wars they have
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  enriched britain's commerce and they have honored
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  britain's laws yet their loyalty has been repaid
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  with suspicion their petitions rejected their
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  remonstrances ignored and their sufferings continue
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  to increase the congress does not recount these
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  things to inflame resentment They recount them
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  to awaken resolve, to remind people that patience
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  has been exhausted and that justice must be pursued
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  with firmness. The memorial declares that liberties
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  now threatened are not privileges granted by
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  Parliament. They are the birthright of Englishmen.
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  They are secured by the ancient Constitution.
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  They are confirmed by colonial charters. They
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  are the essential to happiness. of a free people.
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  If these rights may be taken from Massachusetts
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  today, they may be taken from Virginia tomorrow.
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  If they may be denied to one colony, they can
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  be denied to all. The Congress urges the people
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  to see the danger clearly, to understand that
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  the struggle of the colony is struggle of every
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  colony. In this crisis, division is ruin. Union
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  is safety. The cause of Boston is the cause of
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  all. The injury of one is an injury of all. The
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  Congress calls upon the people to join in peaceful
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  resistance. Not in rashness, not in rebellion,
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  but in firm united action. The non -importation,
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  non -consumption, and non -exportation agreements
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  are presented as necessary sacrifices. Sacrifices
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  made not for one colony, but for the liberty
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  of the whole continent. The memorial assures
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  the people that Congress seeks reconciliation.
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  They desire harmony with Great Britain. They
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  ask only to enjoy the rights they have long possessed.
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  But they cannot submit to laws that would make
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  them slaves. They cannot surrender the liberties
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  entrusted to them by their fathers. They cannot
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  betray the inheritance of their children. Their
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  resistance is founded in justice, guided by prudence,
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  tempered by loyalty, and rooted by the conviction
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  that liberty is a gift from God. We have prepared
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  the narrative of the document for your listening
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  pleasure. Here it is now. to our fellow inhabitants
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  of the British colonies in North America. We,
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  the delegates of the several colonies assembled
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  in General Congress, address you with affection
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  and solemn concern. The times are perilous, the
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  liberties of this continent are endangered, and
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  the measures taken by the British Ministry threaten
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  not one colony alone, but the rights of all.
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  We write to lay before you the causes of our
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  present distress. the principles that guide our
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  conduct, and the duties that now rest upon every
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  friend of freedom. Aye, the present crisis. For
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  many years, acts of Parliament have been imposed
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  upon us that violate the rights we inherited
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  as Englishmen taxes, laid without representation,
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  courts altered without consent, governors empowered
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  beyond constitutional bounds, armies stationed
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  among us in times of peace. and the port of Boston
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  closed as an example to all who resist. These
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  measures are not isolated. They form a system,
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  a deliberate plan to reduce the colonies to obedience
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  by force rather than by affection. Our loyalty
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  and our sufferings. We have never sought separation
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  from the mother country. We have fought her wars.
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  We have enriched her commerce. We have honored
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  her laws. Yet our loyalty has been repaid with
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  suspicion, misrepresentation and oppression.
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  Our petitions have been rejected. Our remonstrances
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  have been ignored. Our sufferings have been increased
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  rather than relieved. We recount these things
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  not to inflame resentment, but to awaken vigilance.
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  The rights at stake. The liberties now threatened
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  are not privileges granted by Parliament. They
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  are the birthright of free subjects. They are
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  secured by the principles of the English Constitution.
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  They are confirmed by our charters. They are
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  essential to the happiness of a free people.
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  If these rights may be taken from Massachusetts
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  today, they may be taken from Virginia tomorrow.
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  If they may be denied to one colony, they may
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  be denied to all. IV, the necessity of union.
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  In this crisis, division is ruin, union is safety.
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  The cause of Boston is the cause of every colony.
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  The injury of one is the injury of all. We therefore
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  call upon you to join in the measures we have
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  adopted. Not in rashness, not in rebellion, but
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  in firm and peaceful resistance. The non -importation.
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  Non -consumption and non -exportation agreements
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  are necessary to preserve our liberties without
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  bloodshed. They are sacrifices, but sacrifices
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  for the common good. Our conduct and our intentions.
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  We desire reconciliations. We seek the restoration
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  of harmony with Great Britain. We ask only to
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  enjoy the rights we have long possessed. But
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  we cannot, we must not, submit to laws that would
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  make us slaves. We cannot surrender the liberties
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  entrusted to us by our fathers, nor betray the
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  inheritance of our children. Our resistance is
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  founded in justice, guided by prudence and tempered
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  by loyalty. Vi, a call to courage and virtue.
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  We urge you, therefore, to stand firm. Let no
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  colony falter. Let no man shrink from duty. Let
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  industry, frugality, and virtue mark our conduct.
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  Let our private lives reflect them. public cause
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  if we remain united steadfast and faithful we
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  may yet preserve our liberties restore harmony
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  to the empire and hand down to future generations
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  the blessings of freedom by closing appeal may
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  the god who governs nations guide our councils
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  strengthen our hearts and bless our endeavors
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  may he restore peace to this continent and justice
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  to the whole british empire And may posterity
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  look back upon this moment with gratitude, seeing
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  in our firmness the salvation of their rights.
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  The Congress urges the people to stand firm.
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  Let no colony falter. Let no man shrink from
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  duty. Let industry mark their labor. Let frugality
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  mark their homes. Let virtue mark their conduct.
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  If the colonies remain united, steadfast and
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  faithful, they may preserve their liberties,
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  restore harmony to the empire, and hand down
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  to future generations the blessings of freedom.
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  The memorial closes with a prayer, a prayer that
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  the God who governs nations will guide their
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  councils, strengthen their hearts, and bless
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  their endeavors. A prayer that peace may be restored
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  to the continent and justice to the whole British
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  Empire. a prayer that posterity will look back
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  with gratitude, seeing in their firmness the
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  salvation of their rights. As we reflect on this
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  memorial, we hear the voice of people awakening
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  to the moment, a people call to courage, a people
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  call to unity, a people call to trust in providence.
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  May we in our own time walk with the same resolve,
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  the same humility, and the same faith. Thank
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  you for joining me today. May the Lord bless
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  you and may he continue to guide the nation under
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  his care. Thank you for listening to the Voices
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  of Life podcast on behalf of Pastor David and
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  the Church for Life. May God bless you. May he
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  keep you. And may his hand rest upon this land
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  we call home. Until next time. Walk in truth.
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  Stand in liberty. And live for life.