The first charter of Virginia, granted
by King James I. in 1606, after reciting the application of
certain parties for a charter, commenced the grant in these
words:
"We, greatly commending, and graciously accepting of,
their Desires for the Furtherance of so noble a Work, which
may, by the Providence
of Almighty God, hereafter tend to the Glory of his
Divine Majesty, in propagating
of Christian Religion to such People, as yet live in Darkness
and miserable Ignorance of the true Knowledge and
Worship of God, and may in time bring the Infidels
and Savages,
living in those parts, to human Civility, and
to a settled and quiet Government; DO, by
these our Letters-Patents, graciously accept of, and agree to,
their humble and well-intended Desires."
The great Virginian, James Madison, the "Father of the
Constitution," referred to the Virginia Charter in one
of his most famous addresses, the "Memorial and
Remonstrance" of 1785, in which he gave his reasons for
opposing proposed legislation:
| Because, the policy
of the bill is adverse to the diffusion of the light
of Christianity. The first wish of those who enjoy
this precious gift, ought
to be that it may be imparted to the whole race of
mankind. Compare the number of those who have as
yet received it with the number still remaining
under the dominion of false
Religions; and how small is the former! Does
the policy of the Bill tend to lessen the
disproportion? No; it at once discourages those who
are strangers to the light of (revelation) from
coming into the Region of it; and countenances, by
example the nations
who continue in darkness, in shutting out those
who might convey it to them. Instead of levelling as
far as possible, every obstacle to the victorious
progress of truth, the Bill with an ignoble and
unchristian timidity would circumscribe it, with a
wall of defence, against the encroachments of error. |
Osama bin Laden's forefathers were likely in Madison's mind
when he spoke of "false
religions." "The light of Christianity" is
the answer to terrorism,
as we explained on our
Iraq page.
Both foreign policy ("the warfare state") and
domestic policy ("the welfare state") must consider
the light of Christianity and the darkness of "false
religions." Madison is known as a defender of
"religious liberty," but he was not a defender of
"false
religions" and practices like cannibalism, polygamy,
human sacrifice, and thuggism. He wanted Christianity to cover
the globe like the waters cover the sea.
Other Founders had the same kind of globalist
optimism. Even Thomas Jefferson, not a Trinitarian, was also
not a pure pluralist:
- Andrew M. Allison, in Thomas Jefferson: Champion of
History (pp.299ff.)
- Once primitive Christianity was fully
restored . . . Christianity would
escape all danger of being eclipsed or
superseded. "I confidently
expect," Jefferson wrote in 1822,
"that the present generation will
see Unitarianism become the general religion
of the United States."
And to the Harvard professor and Unitarian
Benjamin Waterhouse,
Jefferson that same year observed: "I
trust that there is not a
young man now living in the U.S. who will not
die an Unitarian.
- Gaustad, Faith of our Fathers, p. 105
- On another occasion he wrote,
- "I hold the precepts of Jesus, as delivered by
himself, to be the most pure, benevolent, and sublime
which have ever been preached to man."
- to Jared Sparks (4 Nov. 1820), Bergh 15:288.
- "Had the doctrines of Jesus been preached always as
pure as they came from his lips," Jefferson believed,
"the whole civilized world would now have been
Christian."
- to Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse (26 June 1822), Bergh
15:385.]
Samuel Adams declared:
I conceive we cannot better express ourselves than by
humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the world . . .
that the confusions that are and have been among the nations
may be overruled by the promoting and speedily bringing in
the holy and happy period when the kingdoms of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and the
people willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is the Prince
of Peace.12
As Governor, Adams also called on the State of
Massachusetts to pray that . . .
- the peaceful and glorious reign of our Divine Redeemer
may be known and enjoyed throughout the whole family of
mankind.13
- we may with one heart and voice humbly implore His
gracious and free pardon through Jesus Christ,
supplicating His Divine aid . . . [and] above all to cause
the religion of Jesus Christ, in its true spirit, to
spread far and wide till the whole earth shall be filled
with His glory.14
Josiah Bartlett Signer of the Declaration of
Independence and Governor of New Hampshire called on the
people of New Hampshire . . .
to confess before God their aggravated transgressions and
to implore His pardon and forgiveness through the merits and
mediation of Jesus Christ . . . [t]hat the knowledge of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ may be made known to all nations,
pure and undefiled religion universally prevail, and the
earth be fill with the glory of the Lord.16
John Hancock, as Governor of the State of Massachusetts,
urged the people to pray . . .
- that all nations may bow to the scepter of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ and that the whole earth may be filled
with his glory.40
- that the spiritual kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ may be continually increasing until the whole earth
shall be filled with His glory.41
- to confess their sins and to implore forgiveness of God
through the merits of the Savior of the World.42
- to cause the benign religion of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among
all the inhabitants of the earth.43
- to confess their sins before God and implore His
forgiveness through the merits and mediation of Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior.44
- that He would finally overrule all events to the
advancement of the Redeemer’s kingdom and the
establishment of universal peace and good will among men.45
- that the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may
be established in peace and righteousness among all the
nations of the earth.46
- that with true contrition of heart we may confess our
sins, resolve to forsake them, and implore the Divine
forgiveness, through the merits and mediation of Jesus
Christ, our Savior. . . . And finally to overrule all the
commotions in the world to the spreading the true religion
of our Lord Jesus Christ in its purity and power among all
the people of the earth.47
William Samuel Johnson signed the Constitution and became
the President of Columbia College. He told graduates:
You this day. . . . have, by the favor of Providence and
the at¬tention of friends, received a public education, the
purpose whereof hath been to qualify you the better to serve
your Creator and your country. You have this day invited
this au¬dience to witness the progress you have made. . . .
Thus you assume the character of scholars, of men, and of
citizens. . . . Go, then, . . . and exercise them with
diligence, fidelity, and zeal. . . . Your first great
duties, you are sensible, are those you owe to Heaven, to
your Creator and Redeemer. Let these be ever present to your
minds, and exemplified in your lives and conduct. Imprint
deep upon your minds the principles of piety towards God,
and a reverence and fear of His holy name. The
fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and its
[practice] is everlasting [happiness] . . . . Reflect deeply
and often upon [your] relations [with God]. Remember that it
is in God you live and move and have your being, –
that, in the
language of David, He is about your bed and about your
path and spieth out all your ways – that there is not a
thought in your hearts, nor a word upon your tongues, but
lo! He knoweth them al¬together, and that He will one day
call you to a strict account for all your conduct in this
mortal life. Remember, too, that you
are the redeemed of the Lord, that you are bought
with a price, even the inestimable
price of the precious
blood of the Son of God. Adore Jehovah, therefore, as
your God and your Judge. Love, fear, and serve Him as your
Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. Acquaint yourselves with
Him in His word and holy ordinances. . . . [G]o forth into
the world firmly resolved neither to be allured by its
vanities nor contaminated by its vices, but to run with
patience and perseverance, with firmness and [cheerfulness],
the glorious career of religion, honor, and virtue. . . .
Finally, . . . in the elegant and expressive language are
honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on
these things” – and do them, and the
God of peace shall be with you, to whose most gracious
protection I now commend you, humbly imploring Almighty
Goodness that He will be your guardian and your guide, your
protector and the rock
of your defense, your Savior and your God.69
You don't hear Graduation addresses like that anymore!
John Quincy Adams said:
The hope of a Christian is inseparable from his faith.
Whoever believes in the Divine inspiration of the Holy
Scriptures must hope that the religion of Jesus shall
prevail throughout the earth. Never since the foundation of
the world have the prospects of mankind been more
encouraging to that hope than they appear to be at the
present time. And may the associated distribution of the
Bible proceed and prosper till the Lord shall have made “bare
His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the
ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God”
[Isaiah 52:10].8
America must again become a "City
upon a Hill."
next: Campaign Finance, Corruption and
the Oath of Office
|