Page 4 - THE REAL TRUTH...

ment and its church” from 1629 until 1776. This was 147 years. And, then even after the revolution, the government and the Anglican Church still maintained control in some areas.
During these years, ministers in various places in the colonies often knew what it was like to face the scorn and fury of a hostile “government and its church.”
The “government and its church” must have thought they could beat the ministers into submis- sion. If they would not willingly bend to the “gov- ernment and its church’s” demands, they would be bent at the hands of mobs and government “offi- cials” who were more than ready to use the whip.
In the reign of terror that followed, ministers were thrown into jail for disobeying the “government and its church’s” commands. They must have felt that these “rebels” who dared to defy their orders would soon run like scared chickens and the control the “government and its church” had maintained would continue in the colonies.
However, the preachers did not stop preaching and their congregations did not stop listening.
If their pastor was arrested and put in jail, their services would go on, even if it meant the congre- gation had to stand in the street in order hear to their pastor preach his Sunday message through a jail cell window.
It was during these trying times that Reuben Ford purposed that he would do everything in his power to oppose the tyranny of a “government and its church” that was bent on destroying all religious freedoms that did not meet with their approval.
According to history, Reuben Ford became more active than any other minister in lobbying lawmakers to end the government’s oppression of those who dared to live as they felt the Holy Scrip- tures instructed.
Many Christians in the colonies felt they could no longer conduct their lives according to the dic- tates of the “government and its church.”
The revolution was looming on the horizon. Ford began to offer all of his assistance to the “revolutionaries” who were determined at any cost, to throw off the yoke of the “government and its church.”
Ford became a leader in working to secure lib- erty for all Christians who, because of conscience, felt they could not compromise their faith and follow a “government and its church” in a direction they believed was diametrically opposed to God’s
Word.
It was Reuben Ford who was chosen by the
churches in Virginia, to represent them at the House of Representatives.
It was because of Ford’s diplomatic skills and reasoning with the lawmakers that caused these unlawful bills to fail to pass.
Ford continually opposed these unjust laws, us- ing all of his abilities and persuasive powers to stop the persecution of Christians in the colonies.
On July 4, 1776, the end of the revolution was finally a reality. On this same day, Rev. Reuben Ford founded another church. All together he was instru- mental in helping to establish five churches in Virgin- ia. All five of these churches are still doing well today.
Many thought that with the end of the revolu- tion that the colonists would finally be free of the shackles of England. It was thought by many that the government intervention against them would also cease. But it didn’t. Even after the revolution, Anglican ministers were still the only clergy mem- bers who were still legally able to marry couples.
In light of the new government’s restrictions there was still much work to do. As of yet, there was no bill of rights and the fledgling churches in Virginia were still facing government intervention ino their affairs.
Ford took the forefront in behalf of churches across Virginia, lobbying tirelessly at the General Assembly for complete religious freedom.
In 1779, Thomas Jefferson sought to answer the question of religious freedom when he issued his “Status for Religious Freedom,” but it still did not go far enough.
Ford and other ministers with him continued to work diligently with the new national government to see changes were enacted that would provide ministers and churches, the rights and privileges that were due them.
It was noted in history that Reuben Ford, more than any other minister at that time, was instru- mental in influencing the General Assembly for equal religious rights for all people in America.
Ford had the favor of the members of the Gen- eral Assembly because of his whole-hearted-sup- port of the revolutionary war. Ford had always been ready to assist the “rebels” with food, supplies and whatever else he could do to help them in overthrowing the English government.
It was Ford’s work with the General Assembly in 1785 that caused a law to be passed giving all
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