John Locke was born on Aug. 29, 1632 in Somersetshire, England.
John Locke was one of the world’s most brilliant political writers, and he owes that fact to his persistence in studying the Scriptures to learn what should be done in the political spectrum.
In 1690, he wrote the very influential work entitled Two Treatises on Government. It refutes the concept of the divine right of kings. This was widely read by the pastors and Founding Fathers of America. His arguments were widely discussed for the 75 years that led to the American Revolution.
One of his powerful states was:
As men we have God for our King, and are under the Law of Reason: as Christians, we have Jesus the Messiah for our King, and are under the Law reveal’d by him in the Gospel.
When John Locke was complemented by Lord Chancellor King for his work on Religious Freedom replied:
The Baptists were the first and only propounders of absolute liberty, just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty.
John Locke died in Essex, England on Oct. 28, 1704. Before dying he said: “O the depth of the riches both of the goodness and knowledge of God!” (from Romans 11:33).
Sources
Frederick Barton, Favorite Scripture Texts of Famous People (Redding, California: Pleasant Places Press, 2005), page 183.
Thomas Jefferson Villers, “Fidelity to our Baptist Heritage.” Baptist Fundamentals (Watertown, Wisconsin: Roger Williams Heritage Archives, 1920; 2003), page 35.
Norman L. Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Baker reference library (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1999), page 426.
C. A. Jenkens, What Made Me a Baptist (Watertown, Wisconsin: Roger Williams Heritage Archives, 1901; 2003), page 28.
John Locke from “The Reasonableness of Christianity,” in 1695. Rosalie J. Slater and Verna M. Hall, Teaching and Learning America's Christian History, American Revolution Bicentennial ed. (San Francisco: Foundation for American Christian Education, 1975), page 175.
