The English court could hand out cushy jobs if you were cozy with the political leaders. As a result, too many pastors (vicars) were toadies for the powerful. When England was (God help us!) a commonwealth run by regicides who hated Christmas, these men went along with it. When the nation had a good ruler, say Charles, king and martyr, the same men would preach that one must obey God’s anointed.
The only common principle? You must keep your job (preferment). This was common enough that a song was written (The Vicar of Bray) and I have commented on it several times.
So far have our American Court Evangelicals gone (see Robert Jeffress) that I have rewritten the song for them! As a special treat, a former student and present pastor and friend (and a man of integrity and good humor) has performed it for us. Behold a song that takes you from the days of Jimmy “Born Again” Carter when we should all “win with the grin” to Donald Trump with every pivot in between!
Here it is:
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