THIS WEEK, I AM GOING TO DO SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT. INSTEAD OF EXPOUNDING  ON A PASSSAGE OF SCRIPTURE,  I AM GOING TO PRESENT AN ACTUAL SPEECH  GIVEN TO THE ROMAN   SENATE  AFTER THE ASSASINATION OF EMPEROR CALIGULA .   HISTORY SHOWS THAT ,  IN ITS  BEGINNING ,  THE ROMAN EMPIRE  WAS MUCH LIKE OUR EARLY REPUBLIC.   IT WAS A DEMOCRATIC BASED EMPIRE WITH RESOURCES AND LIBERTY  APLENTY .     AUGUSTUS CEASAR   CHANGED THE  DEMOCRATIC  EMPIRE  INTO A MONARCHY ,  AND OVER THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS ,  THE ROMAN EMPIRE GREW TYRANNICAL  AND OPPRESSIVE .  THIS PARTICLAR SPEECH,   GIVEN BY CNEUS SENTIUS SATURNINUS , TALKS  ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED  AND HOW IT WAS ABLE TO HAPPEN .  WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS TO PREVENT THE SAME FROM  HAPPENING TO OUR  REPUBLIC.  THE SPEECH GOES AS FOLLOWS; 

“ALTHOUGH  IT  BE A THING INCREDIBLE , O’ R OMANS !  BECAUSE OF THE GREAT LENGTH  OF TIME ,  THAT SO UNEXPECTED  AN  EVENT HATH HAPPENED ,  YET  ARE WE  NOW IN POSSESION OF LIBERTY .   HOW LONG INDEED THIS WILL LAST IS UNCERTAIN  ,  AND LIES AT THE DISPOSAL  OF THE GODS,  WHOSE  GRANT  IT IS ;  YET SUCH IT IS AS IS SUFFICIENT  TO MAKE US REJOICE, AND BE HAPPY FOR THE PRESENT  , ALTHOUGH WE MAY SOON  BE DEPRIVED OF IT , FOR ONE HOUR  IS SUFFICIENT TO THOSE THAT ARE EXERCISED IN VIRTUE , WHEREIN  WE MAY LIVE WITH A MIND ACCOUNTABLE ONLY TO OURSELVES, IN OUR OWN COUNTRY , NOW FREE ,  AND GOVERN BY SUCH LAWS AS THIS COUNTRY ONCE FLOURISHED UNDER .  AS FOR MYSELF, I CANNOT REMEMBER OUR FORMER TIME  OF LIBERTY , AS BEING BORN AFTER IT WAS GONE ;  BUT I AM BEYOND MEASURE FILLED WITH JOY AT THE THOUGHTS OF OUR PRESENT  FREEDOM .  I ALSO ESTEEM THOSE THAT WERE BORN AND BROUGHT UP IN THAT OUR FORMER LIBERTY,   HAPPY MEN, AND THAT THOSE M EN ARE WORTHY NO LESS ESTEEM THEN THE GODS THEMSELVES, WHO HAVE GIVEN US  A TASTE OF IT IN THIS AGE  ;  AND I  HARTILY WISH THAT THIS  QUIET ENJOYMENT OF IT , WHICH WE HAVE AT PRESENT , MIGHT CONTINUE TO ALL AGES.   HOWEVER, THIS SINGLE DAY MAY SUFFICE   FOR OUR YOUTH, AS WELL AS FOR US THAT ARE IN YEARS.  IT WILL SEEM AN AGE TO   OUR OLD MEN ,  IF THEY MIGHT DIE  DURING ITS HAPPY DURATION :  IT MAY ALSO BE FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE YOUNGER SORT , WHAT KIND OF VIRTUE THOSE MEN , FROM WHOSE LOINS WE ARE DERIVED ,  WHERE EXERCISED IN .   AS FOR OURSLEVES,

OUR BUSINESS IS ,  DURING THE SPACE OF TIME, TO LIVE VIRTUOUSLY,

THEN WHICH  NO THING CAN BE MORE TO OUR ADVANTAGE ;  WHICH COURSE OF VIRTUE IT IS ALONE THAT CAN PRESERVE OUR LIBERTY ;

FOR , AS TO OUR ANCIENT STATE , I HAVE HEARD OF IT BY THE RELATIONS OF OTHERS;   BUT AS TO OUR LATER STATE, DURING MY

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LIFETIME , I HAVE KNOWN IT BY EXPERIENCE , AND LEARNED THEREBY  WHAT MISCHIEF  TYRANNIES HAVE BROUGHT UPON THIS COMMONWEALTH , DISCOURAGING ALL VIRTUE , AND DEPRIVING PERSONS  OF  MAGNANIMITY OF THEIR LIBERTY ,  AND PROVING THE TEACHERS OF FLATTERY  AND SLAVISH  FEAR,  BECAUSE IT LEAVES THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION  NOT BE GOVERNED BY WISE LAWS,

BUT BY THE HUMOR OF THOSE THAT GOVERN.   FOR SINCE AUGUSTUS  CEASAR TOOK IT INTO HIS HEAD TO DISSOLVE OUR DEMOCRACY AND,

BY OVERBEARING  THE REGULAR SYSTEM OF OUR LAWS ,  TO BRING DISORDERS INTO OUR ADMINISTRATION , AND TO GET ABOVE RIGHT AND  JUSTICE , AND TO BE A SLAVE TO HIS OWN INCLINATIONS , THERE IS NO KIND OF MISERY BUT WHAT HATH TENDED TO THE SUBVERSION OF THIS CITY ;    WHILE ALL THOSE THAT HAVE SUCCEEDED  HIM HAVE STRIVEN  ONE WITH ANOTHER TO OVERTHROW  THE ANCIENT LAWS  OF THEIR COUNTRY , AND HAVE LEFT IT DISTITUTE OF SUCH CITIZENS  AS WERE OF GENEROUS PRINCIPLES ;  BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT TENDED TO THEIR SAFTY TO HAVE VICIOUS MEN TO CONVERCE WITHAL , AND NOT  ONLY TO BREAK THE SPIRITS OF THOSE THAT WERE BEST ESTEEMED FOR THEIR VIRTUE ,  BUT TO RESOLVE UPON THEIR UTTER DISTRUCTION .

OF ALL  WHICH EMPERORS , WHO HAVE BEEN MANY IN NUMBER, AND WHO LAID UPON US INSUFFERABLE  HARDSHIPS  DURING THER TIMES  OF THEIR GOVERNMENT , THIS  CALIGULA ,  WHO HATH BEEN SLAIN TODAY , HATH BROUGHT MORE TERRIBLE  CALAMITIES  UPON US  THAN DID ALL THE REST ,  NOT  ONLY BY EXERCIZING   HIS UNGOVERNED  RAGE UPON HIS FELLOW CITIZENS , BUT ALSO UPON HIS KINDRED AND FRIENDS , AND ALIKE UPON ALL OVERS, AND BY INFLICTING  STILL GREATER MISERIES  UPON THEM , AS PUNISHMENTS ,  WHICH THEY NEVER DESERVED , HE BEING EQUALLY FURIOUS  AGAINST MEN AND AGAINST THE GODS ;  FOR TYRANTS ARE NOT CONTENT TO GAIN THEIR SWEET PLEASURE , AND THIS BY ACTING INJURIOUSLY , AND IN THE VEXATION THEY BRING BOTH UPON MEN’S ESTATES  AND THEIR WIVE’S , BUT THEY LOOK UPON THAT TO BE THEIR PRINCIPLE ADVANTAGE , WHEN THEY CAN UTTERLY  OVERTHROW THE INTIRE FAMILIES  OF THEIR ENEMIES ;  WHILE ALL LOVERS OF LIBERTY ARE THE ENEMIES OF TYRANNY .  NOR CAN THOSE THAT PATIENTLY  ENDURE  WHAT MISERIES THEY BRING ON THEM GAIN THEIR FRIENDSHIP ;   FOR AS THEY ARE CONSIOUS  OF  THE ABUNDANT MISCHIEFS THEY HAVE BROUGHT OF THESE MEN ,  AND HOW MAGNANIMOUSLY  THEY HAVE BORNE  THEIR HARD FORTUNES,  THEY CANNOT BE SENSIBLE  WHAT EVILS THEY HAVE DONE , AND THENCE ONLY DEPEND ON SERCURITY FROM WHAT THEY ARE SUSPICIOUS  OF ,   IF IT MAY BE IN THEIR POWER TO TAKE

 

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 THEM  QUITE OUT OF THE WORLD .   SINCE, THEN , WE ARE NOW GOTTEN CLEAR OF SUCH GREAT MISFORTUNES , AND ARE ONLY ACCOUNTABLE TO ONE ANOTHER (  WHICH FORN OF GOVERNMENT AFFORDS  US  THE BEST ASSURANCE  OF OUR PRESENT CONCORD ,  AND PROMISES US THE BEST SECURITY OF ALL EVIL DESIGNS , AND WILL BE MOST FOR OUR OWN GLORY IN SETTLING THE CITY IN GOOD ORDER ) ,  YOU OUGHT , EVERYONE OF YOU IN PARTICULAR , TO MAKE PROVISION FOR HIS OWN ,AND IN GENERAL FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITY;    OR , ON THE CONTRARY , THEY MADE DECLARE THEIR DISSENT  TO SUCH THINGS AS  HAVE BEEN PROPOSED ,  AND THIS WITHOUT ANY HAZARD  OF DANGER TO COME UPON THEM ,  BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOW NO  LORD SET OVER THEM ,  WHO , WITHOUT FEAR OF PUNISHMENT , COULD DO MISCHIEF  TO THE CITY ,  AND HAD AN UNCONTROLLABLE  POWER TO TAKE OFF THOSE THAT FREELY DECLARED  THEIR OPINIONS .   NOR HAS ANYTHING SO MUCH CONTRIBUTED  TO THIS INCREASE  OF TYRANNY  OF LATE AS SLOTH , AND  A TIMEROUS  FOREBEARANCE  OF CONTRADICTING  THE EMPEROR’S WILL ;    WHILE HAD AN OVER-GREAT INCLINATION TO THE SWEETNESS OF PEACE ,  AND HAD LEARNED TO LIVE LIKE SLAVES,  AND AS MANY OF US AS EITHER HEARD OF INTOLERABLE  CALAMITIES  THAT HAPPENED AT A DISTANCE FROM US , OR SAW THE MISERIES THAT WERE NEAR US ,  OUT OF THE DREAD OF DYING VIRTOUSLY ,  ENDED A DEATH JOINED WITH THE UTMOST  INFAMY .  WE OUGHT,  THEN , IN THE FIRST PLACE , TO DECREE THE GREATEST HONORS WE ARE ABLE TO THOSE THAT HAVE TAKEN OFF THE TRYANT ,  ESPECIALLY  TO CHEREA CASSIVS;  FOR THIS ONE MAN, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE GODS,  HATH , BY HIS COUNSEL AND BY HIS ACTIONS ,  BEEN THE PROCURER  OF OUR LIBERTY.   NOR OUGHT WE TO FORGET HIM NOW WE HAVE RECOVERED OUR LIBERTY ,  WHO, UNDER THE FOREGOING TYRANNY , TOOK CONCIL BEFOREHAND , AND BEFOREHAND HAZARDED  HIMSELF FOR OUR LIBERTIES ;  BUT  OUGHT TO DECREE HIM PROPER HONORS  , AND THEREBY FREELY DECLARE , THAT HE FROM THE BEGINNING  ACTED WITH OUR APPROBATION .  AND CERTAINLY IT IS A VERY EXCELLENT THING ,  AND WHAT BECOMES FREEMEN , TO REQUITE  THEIR BENEFACTORS,  AS THIS MAN HATH BEEN A BENEFACTOR   TO US ALL ,  THOUGH NOT ALL LIKE CASSIUS  AND BRUTUS ,  WHO SLEW JULIUS CEASAR , FOR THESE MEN LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF SEDETION  AND CIVIL WARS IN OUR CITY ,  BUT THIS MAN , TOGETHER WITH  HIS SLAUGHTER OF THE TYRANT  , HATH SET OUR CITY FREE FROM ALL THOSE  SAD MISERIES  WHICH AROSE FROM THE TRYANNY  “  . 

 

 

 

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AS WE CAN SEE FROM THIS SPEECH , GIVEN SOME 2000 YEARS AGO , THE BIGGEST  BENIFACTOR  OF THE TYRANT  IS THE COMMON MAN WHO GOES ALONG WITH  WHATEVER THE TRYANT  WANT S OUT OF FEAR OR JUST PLAIN  LAZINESS, “   NOR HAS ANYTHING SO MUCH CONTRIBUTED  TO THIS INCREASE OF TYRANNY OF LATE AS SLOUTH , AND  A TIMEROUS FORBEARANCE  OF CONTRADICTING  THE EMPEROR’S  WILL  ;   “  BY LETTING THE TYRANT  HAVE FREE REIGN , WE ARE FORSAKING GOD AND HIS LAW OF LIBERTY  .   OUR FOUNDING FATHERS   WERE NOT  AFRAID TO STAND UP TO THE TYRANT  IN GOD’S NAME .   THEY KNEW THAT THE ONLY WAY TO END TYRANNY WAS TO STRONGLY OPPOSE IT AND NOT “LEARN TO LIVE LIKE SLAVES “ .

 

SATURNINUS  TALKS AFEW TIMES ABOUT “  THAT GODS  “   WHO ARE THE SUPPLIERS OF LIBERTY ,  “   AND LIES AT THE DISPOSAL  OF THE GODS ,  WHOSE GRANT IT IS “.     WE KNOW THAT THERE IS ONE GOD , NOT THE MANY OF  SATURNINUS  TIME ,  BUT THE STATEMENT  HE MAKES  IS TRUE  IN EVERY OTHER RESPECT ,   ONLY GOD CAN GRANT LIBERTY .  WE SEE OUR OWN GOVERNMENT HEADING THE WAYOF THE OLD ROMAN EMPIRE .  WE MAKE CALL OUR LEADER “PRESIDENT”   BUT BY HIS ACTION ,   WE COULD JUST AS EASILY CALL HIM “CEASAR”   AND BE QUITE ACCURATE .     JUST AS THE  CEASARS WENT AGAINST THE GODS THAT THEY BELIEVED IN , SO OUR LEADERS ARE GOING AGAINST THE ONE TRUE GOD  WE KNOW EXISTS.   JUST AS ROME FELL VIOLENTLY  FOR ITS SINS ,  SO WILL THIS REPUBLIC  FALL IN A SIMILAR FASHION IF WE DO NOT REPENT  AND CORRECT THE ERRORS  THAT HAVE BEEN MADE . 

 

I HAVE PREVIOUSLY SHOWN , THROUGH SCRIPTURE  ,  THAT ANYTHING THAT IS NOT SERVICE TO GOD  IS SERVICE TO SATAN .   IS ALLOWING  A TYRANNICAL  GOVERNMENT  TO RUN UNCHECKED SERVICE  TO GOD ?       SERVICE TO GOD   REQUIRES  JUSTICE  AND MERCY , DO TRYANTS HAVE EITHER ?    BY SUPPORTING ,  OR  NOT OPPOSING  (  SLOTH  ) ,  THE TRYANT ,  WE ARE NOT SERVING  GOD .   REMEMBER THAT INACTIONS  ARE THE SAME AS ACTIONS IN SHOWING WHO YOU SERVE .    AS SHOWN IN THE ABOVE SPEECH , IT IS MUCH EASIER  AND SAFER ( FOR A SHORT WHILE )  TO LET THE TRYANT  HAVE HIS  WAY .    IT IS MUCH HARDER TO STAND UP FOR GOD, LIBERTY , AND WHAT IS RIGHT .   IN THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOUR  ;  “  ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE ;  FOR THE GATE IS WIDE AND THE ROAD IS EASY THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION ,  AND THERE ARE MANY WHO TAKE IT.    FOR THE GATE IS NARROW  AND THE ROAD IS HARD THAT LEADS TO LIFE , AND THERE ARE FEW WHO FIND IT .       MATTHEW 7- 13- 14  NRSV  .  WHICH GATE AND  ROAD  WILL YOU CHOOSE  ?