The Mayflower Compact the first document of self-government. In the first century Christianity came to these shores with the tiny settlement of the Mayflower Pilgrims. The history of the founding of this nation is a Christian history, because the government of the United States was established upon the unique form of government derived from the Bible principle of ‘self-government.’
The document is our first example of the formation of government by consent of individuals -the right of men to associate and covenant in the name of God.
“In the name God. Amen. We, whose names are written, the loyal Subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britian, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.
Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and the advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do, by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one of another,covenant and combine ourselves together into civil body -politic, for our better order and perservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid, and by virtue hereof to enact, constitiute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names …”
This was the birth of popular constitutional libety. In the cabin of the Mayflower, humanity pronounced its rights and instituted government on the basis of “just and equal laws” for general good -all for ‘the glory of God and the advancemet of Christian faith.”
Our Pilgrim Fathers should not only be revered because of the suffering they endured to bring Liberty of conscience to this continent, but also for planting deep into the soil of our heritage the seed of Christian self-government.
It had taken 1,620 years for the appearing of Christian Liberty to be expressed by the Pilgrims. The eternal truths they heldin their hearts revered the course of history and eventually found magnificent expression in the Declaration of Independence.
