Origin of Civil Government: Its Human Origin and Limited Jurisdiction

Foreword by Thomas Jefferson

I have read many books and treatises on the laws of nature and of nature’s God both before and after my death in 1826. My current situation has afforded me true perspective on all that was done at the revolution but especially concerning the founding legal principles that established the states and eventually the united States. As the reader may recall, when I drafted the Declaration of Independence, I turned to the laws of nature and of nature’s God. I recognized that any civil government established by mankind must be grounded upon that law. This grounding also mandates the people “chain down” their governments to the law so that they can remain free to exercise their God-given liberties. That is why the Declaration of Independence was written to reaffirm this simple truth or as I then said “the common sense of the subject.”

After reviewing Mr. Morgan’s work, I rank it among only a few modern writings of its type expositing the Almighty’s views on the subject. I am pleased to find such insight coming from an American lawyer, despite his early legal education based on a humanist and evolutionary understanding of law. It seems like an impossible feat to grasp what God has said about law, government and rights having been educated in the constitutional slop of modern judicial opinions. Nor is he trained theologically but this is no shortcoming. The clergy of my day fixated on their state establishments and tiny theological disputes. So too today, neither lawyer nor clergy show interest in God’s law.

Yet, Mr. Morgan manages to see through the shadows. Human government is created by human beings and not God. The natural tendency of all such governments is to take our property, make war, and enslave us. He affirms that humans are made for freedom and not slavery by the will of God. Only by severely limiting civil government can we hope to live full lives as God intended. He connects these ideas to the Declaration for which I am grateful and the Constitution as well. All these he understands and articulates for your benefit. Such insight is surprising as he reads neither Greek, Latin, French or Italian, and his Spanish is very poor.

Nevertheless I appreciate his discussion of the simple but effective limitations on civil power brought to light from the Scriptures. He also shows us the way to understand other difficult Scriptural passages. Here, he has done his best as is humanly possible. Unfortunately, additional truths I learned from the Supreme Judge since my death, I am not at liberty to divulge. This, however, does not prevent me from giving his book my endorsement. It is needed now more than ever.

Is this Book Written for You?

This book is written for people of good will who want to be free and live free lives without the civil government abusing their freedom. It is written for those who have been told they are free but know something is very wrong and are searching to understand the times and know what must be done. It is also written for those who believe in God and have some familiarity with the Bible, but have no practical understanding of His laws or views about civil government or nations. This book is written for persons committed to their political party but realize they are too often led astray. It is written for those who want to recover their authority to govern their family as a husband or wife, or a father or mother, free from governmental interference, regulation and control. It is written for students of the American founding and those who appreciate the truths in the Declaration of Independence.

This book is also written for Christians who struggle with Romans 13, or believe our “home is not of this world”, or that God is only interested in discipleship and evangelism. This book is written for those who want an understanding of the origins and jurisdiction of civil government according to the Almighty Judge, Lawgiver and King of the Universe, so they can live as free men and women as God intended. This book is written for those who want to go back to square one, day one, principle one, and understand the origin and jurisdiction of civil government. Obtaining such an understanding or a way of seeing, is a necessary foundational prerequisite in planning how to limit, alter or abolish our civil slave-masters so we may live free and productive lives. It is written for those who believe we should “speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” James 2:12.

Finally, this book is written for Thomas Jefferson who was so kind as to write a thoughtful forward.