As the American colonies grew more resistant to the English Parliament, pieces of Scripture began to convict the Christian colonists, which had an effect on the willingness to fight for liberty. In Romans 13:1-7, it begins by stating "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities," (RSV). The passage continues to address the topic of obeying the authorities placed by God, and to pay taxes, revenue, and give respect to the authorities that it is due. I Peter 2:13-17 tells that people need to honor the authority, for they are there to punish the wrongdoers and praise those doing right.
Christian colonists took different perspectives on the Scriptures, many opposing fighting, while many supported going to war. In the collection of documents analyzed, I will first analyze the excerpts of those who preached about opposing the fighting of England. Probably the strongest argument for opposition (in the collection analyzed) was given by John Wesley, from A Calm Address to Our American Colonies. This piece of writing presents the most controversial question about the means for fighting, which is: "Has the English Parliament power to tax the American colonies?" This question stands in front of several of years of the oppression of taxation by Parliament with no representation of the American colonies. Wesley continues to talk about the reason that the defenders of the revolution hold, and why he objects it. He states, "But I object to the very foundation of your plea. That "every freeman is governed by laws to which he has consented," as confidently as it has been asserted, it is absolutely false When [electors] are near equally divided, almost half of them must be governed, not only without, but even against their own consent.".
Wesley does in fact make a good point here, in that no matter where one stands under a set of laws, they may not agree, but are obliged to follow, because it is their governing authority.
