Passing the Torch of Liberty to a New Generation

by Cyprian Strong, Abiel Abbot, Chauncey Lee

THE STORY: I received a call from my office. "Gary, a man just called. He said that he was dying and that he had to talk with you." He told me that he had a 200-year-old book in his possession and that he wanted American Vision to reprint it. After some research, I learned that the book in my possession is the only copy in existence. You won't find it anywhere, not even in the Library of Congress. This 500-page book consists of 20 messages delivered to the nation from 1799 to 1802. While the individual chapters exist in pamphlet form in private collections and libraries, it would take you years to find copies and a small fortune to procure them.

Most ministers would be afraid to preach these messages today. The men who witnessed the birth of our nation understood that even civil magistrates/politicians are obligated to place themselves under the sovereign hand of God. Can you imagine how atheists will respond if this book gets out to millions of Americans who begin reading and applying the principles found in these powerful messages? Many ministers today have tried to remain neutral in the face of politics which has become increasingly godless. You've heard ministers tell their congregations to stay out of politics with some of the following half-truths:
"Politics is dirty.""Jesus didn't get mixed up in politics.""There's a separation between church and state.""Our citizenship is in heaven.""We're not supposed to judge." "You can't impose your morality on other people." These excuses are foreign to the men who penned these pamphlets. They would recoil in disbelief if they heard these excuses coming from ministers of the gospel. Joseph Strong stated in 1802 that our fathers adhered to the principle "that none ought to be elevated to public office except those whose opinions and behavior were strictly Christian" and that "righteousness exalts a nation." When is the last time you heard anything like that? (by Gary Demar)

514 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[David Carraway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book as it satisfied both my interest of history in general and more specifically American history as well as my love for Christianity. Such an insightful and inspirational book! It contains articles and sermons written by people for various occasions for the benefit of their contemporary audiences and yet much of it is reflective of and beneficial reading for our day.

I learned much about what was going on here in America and also around the world at the turn of the century in 1800. The articles concerning General George Washington were extremely beneficial in learning about his life, character and importance to the birth of the United States from the perspective of those who either knew him personally or lived at the same time he did.

Also contained in this book is General Washington's Farewell Address which is almost prophetic when you compare what he writes to what our current government has become. After reading Gen. Washington's Farewell Address I have come to the conclusion that he was a very wise man. Many of the things he warned his fellow citizens not to pursue are the same things that have turned his beloved country to the very thing he wished it to never become. I believe that though he may not be totally surprised at this outcome, he would definitely be totally devastated by it.

The only negative comment I have about this book is that it appears one or two of the articles (as best as my memory serves me) were cut short or missing at least a page within the article. I don't think this is detrimental to the book overall or the article(s) in particular. However, having those pages would have helped, when reading, to complete the author(s) original thought so that the reader could have a better understanding of the message or intent of the article.