1796 JEREMY BELKNAP. Urges Post-Revolutionary War Preachers to Continue to Engage in Political Critique, &c.

Important very early address to ministers from influential Revolutionary War - Patriot Divine and American Historian, Jeremy Belknap [1744-1798]. Here, in the newly minted America, and just two years before his death, Belknap is deeply cognizant of the formational role the pulpit will play in the development of the new country. 

Last offered at auction in 1970. 

He takes for his text, "Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel, according to the Power of God," arguing that the role of the minister is to stand above cultural influence and that their greatest spiritual and patriotic duty lay in speaking Christ-formational truth to the nation, regardless of consequence. It was both Gospel faithfulness and, ultimately, the source of national flourishing . . . righteousness exalts a nation, etc.

He argues urgently against man-pleasing and urges the clergy to remain prophetically engaged in political discourse.

"Whatever may be the views of those who are of a different opinion from me, respecting this matter; yet I consider their principle, that the clergy have no right to meddle with politics, and their endeavour to stop our mouths, as 'pregnant with mischief,' tending to keep the people in ignorance, and exposing them to be misled by those who would always pretend that the people shall govern, provided that they shall govern the people. 

The time has been, when some of these same persons were very fond of engaging the clergy in politics, encouraging them to write and preach, or, to use a phrase of their own, 'blow the trumpet,' in defence of the liberties of their country. But, alas, how changed, how fallen! From such politicians and such patriots, the good Lord deliver us!" 

Inscribed by John Pipon [1796], minister at Taunton from the 1760's through the early 1820's. He never married, as he said, on account of his slender salary. Presented by Pipon to Rev. John S[nelling] Popkin [1771-1852]. Popkin was Valedictorian at Harvard in 1792. During his address at the commencement he, according to his own words "bawled like a calf for . . . liberty." He succeeded the eminent Jeremy Belknap at the Church in Federal Street, Boston. This sermon likely given by Pipon to Popkin for that reason. 

Belknap, Jeremy. A Sermon Delivered before the Convention of the Clergy of Massachusetts, in Boston, May 26, 1796. Boston. Samuel Hall. 1796. 29pp. 

Good + copy retaining inscribed half title, side-stitched and with flotsam from an earlier sammelband binding. Textually good with some light toning and foxing as shown.