1. An announcement was made throughout the colonies, which eventually culminated in the wonderful document known as the Declaration of Independence.

1. Freedom had been bought at a terrible price with many lives lost on both sides.

1. The colonies were then left to direct their own course of action.

2. At first, they had a system known as the Articles of Confederation, which was lacking in that it had no executive department of government.

1. After a great deal of discussion, the consensus was to do away with the Articles of Confederation and adopt a Constitution for the United Colonies or States.

1. One idea of government was championed by Alexander Hamilton, the other by Thomas Jefferson.

2. Mr. Hamilton's concept was: "The States should sacrifice their powers and form a strong federal government."

3. Mr. Jefferson said, "We have just fought, bled, and died in order to get rid of a monarchial form of government. Let the States retain their powers. Let the doctrine of 'States' Rights' prevail, not yielding too much to the central government and not giving too much authority to our capital city."

4. These two ideas having been thoroughly discussed and various compromises suggested, finally, on the seventeenth day of September of 1787, the Constitution was adopted.

1. It was unanimously conceded that George Washington should be the President. John Adams was elected as Vice President.

2. As soon as Mr. Washington was inaugurated, in 1789, he looked around to select the cabinet members which, at that time, were four in number.

3. At the head of the Treasury Department, Washington selected Alexander Hamilton, who came to be known as a "Federalist."

4. As Secretary of Foreign Affairs, now called "Secretary of State," he appointed Thomas Jefferson, who came to be known as an "Antifederalist."

1. Alexander Hamilton had a master mind along that line, and he devised ways and means, in harmony with the Constitution, to obtain funds for a working government.

2. He put a tariff on foreign trade, liquors, and many other things.

3. In time, streams of revenue began to flow into the treasury, and as Daniel Webster eloquently said of Hamilton, "He struck the rock of internal resources, and abundant streams of revenue gushed forth; he touched the dead corpse of public credit, and it sprang to its feet."

1. He insisted that the government should establish a Nation Bank.

1. Jefferson said, "The Constitution is the supreme law of the land; and while, indeed, it is not an infallible document, as is admitted by provision being made for its amendment, yet if we launch our ship of state on the Constitution we have adopted, we cannot establish a nation bank, because there is no provision for it."

2. Hamilton said, "There is nothing in the Constitution prohibiting the establishment of a national bank. The Constitution says not a single word about a national bank. There is not a single line in it that says: 'Thou shalt not have the government engaging in the banking business.'"

1. Hamilton's party, the Federalists, came to be known as "Loose Constructionists"; that is, to construe loosely the Constitution, on the grounds that we are at liberty to do anything that it does not specifically prohibit.

2. Jefferson's party, the Antifederalists, was known as "Strict Constructionists"; that is, we must be governed strictly by what's written.

1. However, Jefferson, the Antifederalist, continued to preach the doctrine of respect for the Constitution, and later, he was elected the third President.

1. Actually, this is the very heart of the matter regarding the differences between religious people today.

2. In other words, shall we be "strict constructionists" holding only to what's written, or will we be "loose constructionists" at liberty to do anything not mentioned?

1. Since Moses spoke nothing concerning anyone from the tribe of Judah being a priest, Jesus could not have been a priest under the Levitical system.

1. If God has declared that the man of God is thoroughly equipped for every good work through the Scriptures, who has the right to say that the man of God is NOT thoroughly equipped for every good work through the Scriptures?

1. We need no general assembly, convention, conference, or delegation of people to make amendments or resolutions regarding the Lord's Constitution.

1. To us, the answer is obvious.

1. Able offered his animal sacrifice "by faith." To do something "by faith" is to do so in accord with God's instructions.

2. Was the "fruit of the ground" just as good as the animal sacrifice? Gen. 4:3-5

3. Could Able have offered both "an animal" and "vegetables" and still be accepted?

1. Jerusalem was the place to worship. Deut. 12:5-7,11; 1 Kings 8:16; 1 Kings 9:3

2. The Scriptures did not say, "Don't worship on the mountain of Samaria."

3. Deuteronomy 11:29 historically the Lord have even commanded an offering to made on Mount Gerizim!

4. Could one have worshiped in both places?

1. The washing of sacrifices was commanded. Ex. 29:1-4; Lev. 1:8-9

2. The washing of hands, cups, vessels as part of worship was not commanded in their law, and thus it was wrong for them to do so.

1. Not only did they bind circumcision, but were consistent in binding the whole law.

2. Consider Peter's words: "...To whom we gave no such commandment." Acts 15:24

1. Can we do both (play an instrument and sing) and still be pleasing to God?

1. Funds were never sent from one church to another for evangelism.

2. Funds were never sent to a Missionary Society or anything of that sort.

3. If we respect God and His Word, funds must be sent to the preacher in doing the work of evangelism.

1. Can a New Testament church go into the banking business in order to obtain funds?

2. This was the very thing Mr. Hamilton proposed for our federal government - that of going into the banking business.

3. Mr. Jefferson rightly objected on grounds that there was no Constitutional provision for it.

1. were told to get the fire from altar: Lev 16:12; 6:12,13; Nun 16:46

1. Jeriboam ordained non-Levites priests: 1 Ki 12:31

2. God forbid non Levites: Num 18:22-23

3. The Hebrew writer doesn't argue that God forbid Judah (even though he had), but rather stated that God spoke nothing about Judah being priests. This proves that God expects men to respect His silence.

1. Spiritual matters have to do with our eternal salvation.

1. God's constitution has been established. We dare not delete, add to, or make alterations to it in any way.

2. We close by considering these familiar, but important, passages. 2 John 9; Gal. 1:8-9; Matt. 7:21-23