[Massachusetts Election Sermon] POLITICAL RULERS AUTHORIZ'D AND INFLUENC'D BY GOD OUR SAVIOUR, TO DECREE AND EXECUTE JUSTICE: A Sermon Preached at Boston: in the Audience of his Honour Spencer Phips, Esq; Commander in Chief; the Honourable his Majesty's Council, and the Honourable House of Representatives, of the Porvince of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-England, on May 30th. 1750

Phillips, Samuel

Published by John Draper, Boston, 1750

About this Item

Octavo. [4], 59, [1] pp. First edition. Removed from volume with binding residue on the spine. Toning throughout but a presentable, solid copy. A lengthy sermon on the divine appointment of civil government; that it is "an Institution of Christ" (p. 6). And as such, Phillips marches through the logic of how inextricably entangled civil government is with divine Christian authority. Simply put, he argues that the state will flourish when rulers submit to god's influence. "'Tis obvious to all who are acquainted with the History of the Country, that New-England was originally Planted, not so much for Trade as for Religion, (viz. with an Eye not only to their own and their Posterity's spiritual weal, but also the Christianizing of the Heathen;) And truly, the way for the former to flourish, is to be tender of the latter; But if Religion be not cherished, Trade will decay more and more; or, if it shou'd flourish, it will prove no other but a Curse to us" (p. 43). Admittedly, a vision of a Christian State that would be challenged in the decades and centuries to come. Evans 6593; Sabin 62512. Seller Inventory # 8232

Bibliographic Details

Title: [Massachusetts Election Sermon] POLITICAL ...

Publisher: John Draper, Boston

Publication Date: 1750

Binding: Disbound

Condition: Very Good binding

Edition: 1st Edition