Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – Patrick Henry & Defense of Three Baptist Pastors – Part 3 of 6

Thomas E Kresal January 14, 2020

Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – Part 3 of 5 Patrick Henry & Defense of Three Baptist Pastors

We here introduce the speech of Patrick Henry in defense of three Baptist preachers who were on trial for preaching. The following quotation is from the Religious Denominations, by Mr. Belcher: (Religious Denom pp. 161-165) “Three Baptist preachers were brought to trial for preaching. The indictment brought against was ‘For preaching the Gospel of the Son of God,’ contrary to the statute in that case provided , and therefore, disturbers of peace.

The clerk was reading the indictment in a slow and formal manner, and he pronounced the crime with emphasis, ‘For preaching the Gospel of the Son of God’ when a plain-dressed man dismounted his horse, entered the court-house, and took his seat within the bar. He was known to the court and lawyers, but a stranger to the mass of spectators who had gathered on the occasion.

This was Patrick Henry, who, on hearing of this prosecution, had rode some fifty or sixty miles, from his residence in Hanover county, to volunteer his services in the defense of the prisoners. He listened to the further reading of the indictment with marked attention, the first sentence of which that had caught his ear, was, ‘ For preaching the Gospel of the Son of God.’ When the indictment had been read, and the prosecuting attorney had submitted a few remarks, Henry arose, stretched out his hand and received the paper, and then addressed the court:

Patrick Henry: “May it please your worships: I think I heard read by the prosecutor as I entered this house, the paper I now hold in my hand. If I have rightly understood, the king’s attorney of this colony has framed an indictment for the purpose of arraigning and punishment by imprisonment, three inoffensive persons before the bar of this court, for a crime of great magnitude—as disturbers of the peace. May it please the court, what did I hear read? Did I hear it distinctly, or was it a mistake of my own? Did I hear an expression, as if a crime, that these men, whom your worships are about to try for a misdemeanor, are charged with—what! ‘ and continuing in a low, solemn, heavy tone : ‘ For preaching the Gospel of the Son of God!

‘Pausing, amidst the most profound silence and breathless astonishment of his hearers, he slowly waved the paper three times around his head, then, lifting up his hands and eyes to heaven, with extraordinary and impressive energy, he exclaimed, ‘GREAT GOD!’ The exclamation—the action—the burst of feeling; from the audience were all overpowering.

(Continued tomorrow with Patrick Henry speech)

Thomas E. Kresal from: Baptist Succession by D.B. Ray, pg. 347