In James 1:25, it says “Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therin, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” I have encountered this scripture many times and have heard it mentioned countless other times, but not until reading it recently did I understand a new and greater meaning that it had. To start, the phrase “forgetful hearer” is mentioned, but what does that mean? A “forgetful hearer” is someone who hears truth, yet might forget or set aside the importance of it and does nothing to spread it. If you never hear or read the truth, how could you be expected to be accountable for it? However, once you’ve come across the truth, you become responsible to use the knowledge you have gained for good; Voltaire said, “Every man is guilty of the good he did not do.” Once you know the great blessing of liberty, and the importance it holds, it is your duty to protect and cherish it. If you do this, though you may encounter criticism and mockery by some, you will ultimately be blessed.

Another point made in the passage that I found interesting was, that right in the beginning, he mentions liberty. It is wonderful to know that a man so virtuous and righteous, who inspired so many, loved and valued liberty. He clearly understood its value and his duty to protect it. The founding fathers, and other who helped shape the united states, all diligently read the words of James and others in the Bible. They trusted these men and the words they wrote and it helped mold them into the heroes we know them as today.  

Thomas Jefferson said, “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent”. Don’t remain silent, don’t be a forgetful hearer, and never forget the true and valued blessings that come from knowing and loving liberty. “Now, act honestly and boldly for liberty, or forget the glorious and charming sound.”-John Trenchard

Yours truly,

Publius

To use Algernon Sidney’s words once again, “the glory, virtue and power of the Romans began and ended with their virtue”. We are promised today by our country’s leaders that they will make our nation greater, stronger, and more powerful than it ever was before. Though it may seem like they are delivering, or that we live in the most powerful empire, how long can it last? Rome began abundant in liberty, they prided themselves on their freedom; however, like most empires, they began to get greedy. They wanted a country that was greater, stronger, and more powerful than the rest and in the process of doing so, they lost their virtue and liberty. Eventually, Rome fell. They lost any power and strength they ever had and that’s what their known for today. How then, can we expect to be the strong unless city liberty and virtue abounds? Rome is just one example, there have been countless cities and cultures that have been lost once their liberty was lost. Now, they warn us not to make the mistake and guard that jewel first. Once that happens, we can be great, or strong, or powerful, but only if we are free. It is “ridiculous to think that fortune, which of all things is the most variable, could for so many ages continue the same course, unless supported by virtue”. Only those who deserve fortune, will receive fortune. Live your life in a way that will allow yourself, and those around you to inherit greatness and preserve liberty. To end, I just want to say that we hope you keep your hearts and minds open to new ideas as you read our words each week. The things we write we write because we believe them. We know them to be true, and we know the founding fathers knew them to be true as well, and we have a strong desire to feel the liberty they fought so hard for. 

Thank you all, 

Publius

One of the most sacred gifts given to mankind, a treasure long forgotten, a gem that should always be held dear; liberty. Though most have long forgotten the meaning of this cherished word, the word itself still remains. It remains it the words of forgotten writers, in the hearts of those who fought for it so long ago, and in the back of every tyrant’s mind. The tyrant knows this word is what stands in between him, and ultimate power. If the people know of this word and its meaning, they fight to keep it, putting chains on the tyrant’s power. So, he locks it up. He forbids the reading of every valuable book, destroys the names of those most important to its return before, and convinces that those who know of it now are fools. Why do you think you’ve never heard of Cicero, Algernon Sidney, David Hume, or John Trenchard? Because one page of any of their writings and you learn something that ignites a spark in you. You may start to get ideas, maybe even begin to feel like something is not quite right in your country despite what many have said. Then, you do more reading and discover that there is actually a way you can restore things to the way they are intended to be. This is the fear of a tyrant because if this is the way you think, he is one step closer to losing his wealth, popularity, and power. Now do you see why we write? No one should ever be permitted to rob us of the wonderful opportunity to read inspiring words, and feel the embrace of liberty. Search diligently for the knowledge that it so important to know, use the knowledge you gain, and never allow it to be taken from you again. 

Continue Learning,

Publius

To read the writings of these men and many more, visit http://oll.libertyfund.org/

Thanks to all those who are just now beginning to read, and have been reading our entries each week, we are now able to expand once again! We have decided to allow those wanting to learn further about the things we write about a chance to do so. We will be sending out emails each week that will enable you to read more and learn more for yourself. These emails will contain passages you can read from the founding fathers, and those who influenced them; discussions about those passages; or extensions of what we’ve written about in our entries from this website. If you would like to receive the emails every week, click the bottom of the page where it says “follow” and enter your email address; or, you can enter your email in the comments section of any of our social media pages. Thank you to all those who have helped us in this journey and we’re so excited to begin this new path with you!

Returning to my previous readings, I came across a quote I had marked in “Discourses Concerning Government” by Algernon Sidney. The quote said “We say in general, he that institutes may also abrogate” which is to repeal or get rid of. He continues, “…there can be no peace, where there is no justice; nor any justice, if the government instituted for the good of the nation be turned to it’s ruin… to whom the power is given, may be restrained or chastised, if they betray their trust”. To put it simply, the government instituted by the constitution was created for you. It was created to protect your property, your life, and your liberty. It was not created so the ones in charge could take away your property, threaten your life, and destroy your liberty. The people created this government…YOU created this government, so you can put an end to the tyranny. Think of it this way, if you have recently employed a body guard, so he can protect you and your family, but you catch him stealing from you and threatening your family, will you simply allow him to do so? No. You would dismiss him right away so he wouldn’t pose a further threat. The constitution each state representative signed employed the government to protect our “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”. If the tyrant is not doing what he was hired to do you have more than enough right to fire him. Sidney also wrote, “man is naturally free; he cannot justly be deprived of that liberty.”

Please, don’t allow him to take your liberty. It is a gift most precious that belongs to you, and only you. Do not let the tyrant fool you into believing that “whether virtue be exalted or suppressed; whether he that bears the sword be a praise to those that do well, and a terror to those that do evil; or a praise to those that do evil and a terror to such as do well, it concerns us not; for the king must not lose his right”  because this is just not the case. Unless the constitution allows it, you should never allow it. I beg you to open your eyes and realize that it is long past time to dismiss the tyrant from his throne and let liberty take its stead.

Publius
Don’t forget to check out yesterday’s post for some exciting news!