A Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-resistance to the Higher Powers

Jonathan Mayhew's "Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission" has long been recognized as "the morning gun of the Revolution." Mayhew first presented this sermon on January 30th, 1750, the 101st anniversary of the execution of Charles I. In this sermon, Rev. Mayhew explained that Romans 13 does not require Christians to submit to tyranny and that, in fact, the Bible clearly places a duty upon Christians to resist tyrannical rulers. This widely read sermon was the source of the popular claim that "rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God," and it set the stage for the American colonies to resist the British Parliament's unlawful encroachments upon their liberties.