American Reformation

Slap ‘em on the Wall

American Reformation

Theses 11, 16, and 24

By Stephen L. Wilmeth

 

            In his letter to W. Stephen Smith in 1787, Jefferson wrote … what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them (the rulers) right as to the facts.

            Actually, those baseline thoughts had been set forth in his own words in the Declaration of Independence. When, in the Course of human Events it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them …

            He said it. Most of us haven’t said it with gusto, but the implications are all too crystal clear.

            Slap ‘em on the Wall

            Almost exactly 502 years ago, 95 theses were nailed to wall of the Wittenberg castle door concerning the practice of selling indulgences by the rogue powers in Rome.

            The issue was the assumption of proxy power by the leaders of the Catholic Church that was contrary to the foundational document of the church, the Bible. Among the several breaches of doctrine was the invention of the concept of purgatory that has no biblical basis.

            It was man made.

            In definition, purgatory was a place, or a state of suffering inhabited by earthly souls who were buying down their transgressions to pave the way to heaven. In order to reduce or eliminate sin, coin passed to the proper church officials and it became the arbitrage for salvation.

            Oh, sure, the doctrine of the justification of the sinner before God by grace alone, through faith alone, for the sake of Christ alone was given lip service, but corruption through coin was the vehicle of earthly choice by the big bloated bureaucracy in Rome. The more paid the more extra credits were given in the process.

            Isn’t that the same way Washington has long been in the treatment of our Constitution? Is there any difference at all in the outcome when there is free rein and zero restraint on the part of men who crown themselves with absolute earthly power?

            Their justification of power lies through the creation of endless new laws rather than the simplicity of grace, faith and strict adherence to our foundational cornerstone. It is time for all of us to realize that endless laws aren’t fixing anything. No law can forgive us. It can’t justify us, either. It can’t save us, but it can accuse us, and it will damn us.

Indeed, it can only condemn us, and … too soon, it will kill us.

Theses 11, 16, and 24

If for no other reason than to compare the issues of 1517 and 2019, Theses 11, 16, and 24 make excellent comparisons to the corruption of laws and the elevation of phony pretense by institutional stooges ensconced by system and coin in any era.

 Thesis 11: The changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.

Thesis 11 rewritten in 2019: The changing of the constitutional penalty to the penalty of environmentalism is quite evidently one the taxes that was imposed while the congress slept.

Thesis 16: Hell, purgatory and Heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of Heaven.

Thesis 16 rewritten in 2019: Socialism, political correctness, and private property and rights seem to differ as do despair, inevitable despair, and the assurance of societal Valhalla.

Thesis 24: It must be, therefore, that the greater part of these people are deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of release from penalty …

Thesis 24 recapitulated in 2019: It must be, therefore, that the greater part of these people are deceived by that by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of release from penalty …

The latter pulls the ages together in one simple truth. There is absolutely no difference in the 1517 Thesis 24 and that of today. Actually, there are few differences in the other 92 Theses other than the evolution of semantics and expressions, either. So, where are we?

We find ourselves back assessing the stance of Jefferson.

American Reformation

Washington is not capable of fixing anything.

The simple matter of truth is that King George has long been in residence in our nation’s capital as have his star chamber overseers, the maids in waiting, and the various and sundry circus performers. The only thing that stands between those gilded bit players and an openly communist state is us. We are the stumbling block to the unbelieving world that seems to be growing if not by actual numbers then by effective vector inoculators of chaos and anarchy.

Another mob, though, is not what is needed. The emergence of a special leader or a cadre of patriot leaders is.

This is not just a hope, but a necessity. The reminder that John and Sam Adams, James Madison, Jefferson himself, Washington, and for good measure throw in George Patton were and remain American Founders, Framers, citizen leaders and warriors of highest respect and accomplishment. Couched in those terms, the American Reformation is not to be feared but welcomed.

Proverbs 6: 16-19 should be our Old Testament reading today. In it is the reminder there are six things the Lord hates, yea seven. They are a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that run to mischief, a false witness, and he who sews discord among his brethren. If our Lord hates those things, it is incumbent that we hate them without qualification.

Yea, by His Grace, we pray for the American Reformation.

Stephen L. Wilmeth is a rancher from southern New Mexico. “In the justifying name of Jesus, we pray. Amen”