Could you give us an example of Philip Livingston’s
stand for the Protestant Christian Religion?

In Philip Livingston’s The Other Side of the Question: or, A DEFENSE of the LIBERTIES of North-America, in ANSWER to a late FRIENDLY ADDRESS to All Reasonable Americans, on the Subject of our POLITICAL CONFUSIONS, published in 1774,” he states that he is a member of the Episcopal Church; that “in quality of good Christians we must be subject to the Ministers;” that “he had rather trust God Almighty with his soul, than the British Parliament with his estate;” that “only Almighty God can have a natural right to make laws binding on others,” and that “Americans’ rights were conferred by the King of Kings,* (Jesus Christ) therefore no earthly Potentate can take them away:”
“…If by chance thou art a Presbyterian, or Congregationalist, or other Dissenter from the Episcopal Church, to which I myself belong; permit me to apologize for the rude and opprobrious terms made use of against you by our author. These things ought in common charity to be forgiven, inasmuch as they seem to have proceeded from ignorance and the want of better language…
We are bound by the laws of Heaven to obey its mandates. And in quality of good Christians, we must be subject to the Ministers, be they who they will for conscience sake. Let who will be King, our author is Vicar of Bray. To elucidate all which doctrines he observes that if the greatest tyrant on earth – (Nero, for instance) should usurp and establish a domination over us, the harshest and most cruel, yet so heinous is the offense of disturbing an established government, that a due regard for the rights and liberties of mankind, would prompt us to a peaceable submission…
I shall not hesitate to declare…I had rather trust God Almighty with my soul, than the British Parliament with my estate…
Mr. Locke’s arguments, says our author, “appears to me weak and sophistical.” – The argument as quoted by himself, stands thus: “If parliament has a right to take from us one penny without our consent, it has a right to strip us of our whole property.” To which he observes, “A right to do what is reasonable, implies not a right to do what is unreasonable.”…
No existence whatever, except Almighty God, can have a natural right to make laws binding on others, which the law-maker is exempt from…
Suppose the King should withdraw this protection, – Are our rights therefore annihilated? No. Those rights were conferred by the King of Kings,* and no earthly Potentate can take them away…” 1

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Bibliography:

*

Revelation 19:16 – Jesus Christ

1

Livingston, Philip. The Other Side of the Question, or, A Defense of the Liberties of North America. In Answer to a Late Friendly Address to all Reasonable Americans on the subject of our Political Confusions. New York: Rivington Press, 1774. Library of Congress, Rare Book Collection.


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