Aitken's Bible Endorsed by Congress: The war with Britain cut off the supply of Bibles to the United States with the result that on Sept. 11, 1777, Congress instructed its Committee of Commerce to import 20,000 Bibles from "Scotland, Holland or elsewhere." On January 21, 1781, Philadelphia printer Robert Aitken (1734-1802) petitioned Congress to officially sanction a publication of the Old and New Testament which he was preparing at his own expense. Congress "highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken, as subservient to the interest of religion . . . in this country, and . . . they recommend this edition of the bible to the inhabitants of the United States."
Christianizing the Delawares
In this resolution, Congress makes public lands available to a group for religious purposes. Responding to a plea from Bishop John Ettwein (1721-1802), Congress voted that 10,000 acres on the Muskingum River in the present state of Ohio "be set apart and the property thereof be vested in the Moravian Brethren . . . or a society of the said Brethren for civilizing the Indians and promoting Christianity." The Delaware Indians were the intended beneficiaries of this Congressional resolution.
1787 Northwest Ordinance (pass in Congress in 1789), one of America's 4 founding documents.
"Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary, good means of learning shall forever be encouraged." This directly links religion to public education!
After being sworn in, George Washington delivered his "Inaugural Address" to a joint session of Congress. In it Washington declared:
[I]t would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves . . . . In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and . . . can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage.
[W]e ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained . . . .
Messages and Papers of the Presidents, George Washington, Richardson, ed., vol. 1, p.44-45
The Congressional resolution was delivered to President Washington who heartily concurred with its request. On Oct 3, 1789, he issued the following proclamation:
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th. day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
1838 New York Legislature
"This is a Christian nation ... Our Government depends for its very being on the virtue of its people — on the virtue that has its foundation in the morality of the Christian religion and that this religion is common and prevailing faith of the people."
June 1774, Virginia, at the first news of the Boston Port Bill
Thomas Jefferson proposed a day of "fasting, humiliation, and prayer ... to implore Heaven to avert from us the horrors of civil war."
1780 Congress:
Congress sent forth a call of thanksgiving entreating God to "cause the knowledge of Christianity to spread over the earth"
March 19, 1782 Congress
"The United States, in Congress assembled" called men to pray "that the religion of our divine Redeemer, with all its divine influences, may cover the earth as the water covers the seas."
1783 Congress
"The United States of America, in a committee of States assembled" recommend to the "Supreme Executives of the several States" to call the people to give thanks to God that He "has been pleased to continue to us the light of Gospel truth."
Old Deluder Act, 1647 (Massachusetts General Court)
"It being one chief point of the old deluder, Satan, to keep men from knowledge of the Scriptures ... it is therefore, ordered that every thownship in this jurisdiction, after the Lord has increased them to the number of fifty householders, shall then forthwith appoint one within this town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to read and write ... Forasmuch as it greatly concurs the welfare of this country, that youth thereof be educated, not only in good literature, but sound doctrine."
Delaware's Constitution (1776)
"Everone appointed to public office must say, 'I do profess faith in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God and blessed forevermore; and I do acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be given by divine inspiration."
South Carolina's Constitution
"The Christian Protestant religion shall be deemed, and is hereby constituted and declared to be, the established religion of the State ... No person should be eligible to a seat in the Senate unless he be of the Protestant religion ..."
Connecticut's First Constitution
"the Providence of Almighty God" declared the purpose of the political establishment was to "maintain and preserve the Gospel of our Lord Jesus ... the Scriptures hold forth a perfect rule of the direction and government of all men in all duties they are to perform for God and man."
Pennsylvania's First Legislative Act (in Chester, December 1682)
"Government in itself is a venerable ordinance of God" with the principal concern "of the freemen of Pennsylvania to make and establish such laws as shall best preserve true Christian and civil liberty, in opposition to unchristian, licentious, and unjust practices."
1665 Colonial Legislature of New York ordered that a church should be erected in each parish and that ministers should preach each Sabbath.
1669 South Carolina "Fundamental Constitution"
Permitted Jews and other dissenters from the purity of the Christian religion to form churches on condition they (1) acknowledge the existence of the God of Scripture, (2) that God should be worshipped, and (3) every man, at the command of the magistrate, should testify in some form indicating a recognition of Divine justice and of human responsibility.
Constitutions of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Delaware, and Maryland (1776)
Required a professional belief in the truths of the Christian religion as a condition of holding office or place of trust.
The Great and General Court of Massachusetts 1776 Proclamation
"that piety and virtue, which alone can secure the freedom of any people, may be encouraged, they command and enjoin upon the good people of this colony that they lead sober, religious, and peaceable lives avoiding all blasphemies, contempt of the Holy Scripture and of the Lord's Day, and all other crimes and misdemeanors."
1802 Ohio Constitution, Bill of Rights, Section 7
"Religion, morality and knowledge, however, being essential to good government, it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to pass suitable laws to protect every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of worship, and to encourage schools and the means of instruction."
September 6, 1774: First Act of Continental Congress
"the Rev. Mr. Duche be desired to open Congress tomorrow morning with prayer."
December 11, 1776
Fast Day proclaimed with God being acknowledged as the Supreme "Disposer of events, and Arbiter of the fate of nations."
November 1776 — Congress
Congress sent notice to several states and to Washington's army calling for a service of thanksgiving for the victory over Burgoyne in which all men were exhorted "to confess their manifold sins" and to make "supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive ..."
1780 Congress
Congress sent forth a call of thanksgiving entreating God to "cause the knowledge of Christianity to spread over the earth"
March 19, 1782 Congress
"The United States, in Congress assembled" called men to pray "that the religion of our divine Redeemer, with all its divine influences, may cover the earth as the water covers the seas."
1783 Congress
"The United States of America, in a committe of States assembled" recommend to the "Supreme Executives of the several States" to call the people to give thanks to God that He "has been pleased to continue to us the light of Gospel truth."
March 23, 1778 Proclamation for a Fast Day recognizing the "Redeemer of mankind"
March 8, 1799 Proclamation for a Fast Day recognizing the "great Mediator and Redeemer and the Holy Spirit"
March 2, 1863 United States Senate
Passed a resolution declaring war upon "the assurance of His [God's] Word" with their purpose being to seek God "through Jesus Christ".
Congressional Joint Resolution of September 24, 1789
Had US citizens thank God for the opportunity to establish this country with George Washington signing the proclamation.
It is also perfectly clear that our Founding Fathers were by and large men of faith who realized the integral role faith played in a successfully governed nation. Of the 55 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, all but three were known as orthodox, committed Christians. Immediately after creation of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of the Scripture for the citizens of the new nation. And in 1782 Congress approved this resolution: “The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.”
Perhaps no one better understood the important connection between faith and proper governance than the “father of our nation” and its first president, George Washington. Washington, who presided over the constitutional convention that created our republic’s governing document, declared, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Jefferson himself, whose theology tilted more toward Deism than orthodox Christianity, nonetheless called the Bible the “cornerstone of liberty,” and advised that our “perusal of the sacred volume will make us better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.”
