An American Parable

There once were thirteen nations of men. These nations were small in comparison to those around them. They feared for their freedom since they had a vision unlike most nations. They had a vision of maintaining their individual freedoms under God. These thirteen nations were of one mind and heritage and one vision. Therefore, they band together and formed a treaty, a solemn league and covenant to support one another in their governance and future support.

This covenant was founded on the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of public righteousness, for they knew that only through public righteousness could there be true happiness, and only through public righteousness could the true right of property be maintained. Their covenant espoused principles of justice and common defense. Their covenant promoted the general welfare in order to secure the blessings of liberty to their children.

In order to protect their blessings of liberty, they gave some limited powers to a group of people they called their covenant representatives. These covenant representatives were chosen from among them in order to bind them together in a common culture of liberty under God. But what happens if we have disputes among ourselves was their concern. “What shall prevent us from destroying ourselves with disputes?” Their answer was that their covenant representatives would mediate their disputes for the benefit of all. After all, since the covenant representatives came from amongst the nations with a common vision, they would maintain the same values and seek the same goals. This answer seemed good to the wise men of the covenant to which they agreed.

After a time, a question arose concerning who should interpret the great solemn league and covenant. Again, the wise men of the covenant determined that the covenant representatives should do so. Again, the covenant representatives were of a common vision among the thirteen. And so the covenant representatives took on this new task of interpreting this great covenant.

For many years their common vision of liberty under God brought them unparalleled blessings of liberty. Many came to join in the common vision of liberty under God. So vast did this covenant of men become that it grew to fifty great nations.
So great did this covenant of men become that the covenant representatives moved to a new nation. While the covenant representatives came out of the fifty nations, they soon became lazy and corrupt. Their interpretation of the great covenant gave to themselves more and more power, until their decisions began to take liberty from the people, their liberty under God. They spoke with the enemies of the fifty and sought to become like them. When they talked among themselves, they schemed and plotted to increase the power of their own nation. When they talked to the fifty they schemed and promised that they could provide things that the people could not provide for themselves.

Unfortunately, the fifty nations became complacent. With their ever increasing wealth they forgot their liberty under God. The listened to the promises of the representatives and capitulated. They lost the wisdom in the words, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” They lost the vision of the words of one of their great men of the covenant, “If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, — go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!” They lost sight of their founding principle, spoken by the same men of the covenant, “We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.”

Then one day, the representatives said, “Let us take control of the health of the fifty. We know better than they and we have the power to do it.” And so they took the health of the people. What now should the men of the covenant do? Should they keep their health? Should they keep their liberty? Or should they say, “No, we will never give up our liberty under God. Give us freedom under God.” More importantly, should they allow such men to retain the interpretation of such a great covenant? Or should they take the care of that document back unto themselves?