Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

At what we call Independence Hall in Philadelphia, fifty-five delegates from twelve states assembled on May 25, 1787 for the purpose of revising the inadequate Articles of Confederation.

However, these Delegates ended up scrapping the Articles and framing a whole new governing document: The United States Constitution, which was approved 230 years ago on September 17, 1787.

The result of their work over the hot summer in Philadelphia provided the framework for the longest lasting, most successful Constitutional republic in world history.

Consider the fact that there are 193 countries recognized by the United Nations.

And since 1789, look at some of these countries and compare how many constitutions they have been through compared to us, US.

It is amazing.

What are the results of 230 years of God's favor by giving us Constitutional stability and freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?

Alexis De Tocqueville was impressed enough to speak of American Exceptionalism: "The position of the Americans is therefore quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no other democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one."1

America is exceptional.

Why is this nation, above all other nations, the most prosperous, the most technologically advanced, the most compassionate, the most free nation on earth at this time in history?

Consider the fact that we represent only 4.4% of the world's population but command 41.6% of the world's wealth.2

America is the birthplace of inventions like the telegraph, the telephone, the light-bulb, the airplane, the internet, the Global Positioning System... We have freed more people from tyranny, helped more people rebuild from the ravages of war, delivered more humanitarian aid to those who are suffering than any other nation in the world.

We are not a perfect nation, but America has been a force for good in the world and America is still the wonder of the world.

Why is that?

What makes America exceptional?

My argument: For the most part, those who immigrated and settled here, those who founded and fought for our nation, and those who framed our Constitutional Government and Bill of Rights honored the God of the Bible.

You see it in the very first charters for Jamestown and Plymouth.

You see it in the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut and Massachusetts Body of Liberties, the first Constitutions in America.

You see it in the fact that 12 of the 13 colonies had the Ten Commandments represented in their law code, and the one who didn't — Rhode Island — had 6 of the 10.

You see it in the multitude of colonial Proclamations for Days of Prayer and Fasting and Days for Thanksgiving.

And on and on I could go.

And most secular progressive critics will, if there are intellectually honest, admit the facts as I have presented them.

But with the advent of the Constitution, they argue the Framers took us in a new direction, away from our Christian beginnings.

They contend that the Framers of the Constitution gave us a "Godless Constitution," they "created a secular state," and actually point to that as the reason behind our success as a nation.

I. CHARACTERIZING THE DOCUMENT AS A "GODLESS CONSTITUTION?"

Many critics of Christianity's influence in the birth and development of America like to point out the fact that the Constitution does not mention the words "God" or the "Bible."

In fact, one book is actually titled: The Godless Constitution.3

While this work is fatally flawed by its biased approach and failure to provide footnotes to substantiate its claims, it still begs the question: Why does the Constitution not mention God prominently as in the Declaration of Independence?

Well it was not necessary to mention "God" numerous times in the Constitution because the Declaration of Independence, with its multiple references to God, had already laid the foundation.

The Constitution assumes the Declaration.

In fact, the Constitution is dated in relation to the Declaration, demonstrating its place as the founding document of America.

So the Constitution adds to that founding document the rules by which the new nation would be governed.

It could be said that the Declaration of Independence is the "why" of American government, while the Constitution is the "how."

To explain the relationship between the two documents, Abraham Lincoln used Proverbs 25:11: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in frames of silver."

Lincoln argues that the Declaration expresses:

"the principle of 'Liberty to all' ---the principle that clears the path for all---gives hope to all --- and, by consequence, enterprize, and industry to all" is a word 'fitly spoken' which has proved an "apple of gold" to us.

The Union, and the Constitution, are the picture of silver, subsequently framed around it.

The picture was made, not to conceal, or destroy the apple; but to adorn, and preserve it.

The picture was made for the apple --- not the apple for the picture.

So let us act, that neither picture, [n]or apple shall ever be blurred, or bruised or broken."'

The Declaration lays the foundation for the Constitution, and the liberties set forth in that Declaration flow from belief in and dependence upon the Creator God described in the Bible, who operates the universe according to law, grants the inherent and self-evident rights of Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness, functions as the Supreme Judge of the World, and who rules over his creation and creatures with a benevolent Providence.

Every Framer of the Constitution would agree to at least that much, as they all had a Christian background, displayed varying evidence of a biblical worldview, and most expressed their faith publicly.5

But it still begs the question, why the lack of overt references like in the Declaration?

The Constitution was mostly silent on the subject of God and religion because of the principle of Federalism.

In other words, the Federal Government deferred to the states on matters regarding religion.

Many of the states still had religious establishments and most had religious tests/oaths for office holders.

The Federal Government had no jurisdiction in matters of religion (see Art VI).

The perfect illustration of this principled approach is Thomas Jefferson, who as Governor of Virginia issued a "Proclamation for a Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer" on November 11, 1779.

However, as U.S. President, Jefferson refused to issue a national prayer Proclamation as his predecessors (Washington, Adams) had done because of the principle of Federalism: Matters of Religion are best left to the individual and to the states in which they reside.

What about the Framers?

Weren't they just a bunch of Atheists, Agnostics and Deists?

Honestly, they reflected the general population at the time of the Founding.

Slide

America had a population of 3 million people in 1776.

Estimates are that 99.8% were orthodox Christian, with some Jews, even fewer Muslims, Atheists, Agnostics, and "Deists," who are probably best described as Unitarians (didn't believe Jesus is equal to God)

About 98% were Protestant Christians

About 75% of those could be considered Reformed in their beliefs.6

Also, the Framers were born, grew up, and began their public service during the First Great Awakening, which had a profound impact on their collective (biblical) worldview and thus on their philosophy of government.

Yet Progressives sniff that the Framers were elites and as such the formation of their political ideology would have been the European Enlightenment, not the Great Awakening.

They owed their philosophy of government more to French Philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau than to Moses and the Gospels.

Slide

Interestingly, political scientists Donald S. Lutz and Charles S. Hyneman conducted a ground breaking study at the University of Houston by examining some 15,000 documents (2,000 closely) written during America's founding era (1760-1805), and analyzed their political content.

Included were political volumes, monographs, pamphlets, newspaper articles, and printed political sermons.

There they found 3,154 citations or references to other sources.

The source cited or quoted most often in these was the Bible.

In fact, 34% of the citations from outside sources came from God's word.

The most cited book of the Bible?

Deuteronomy, the second giving of the Law.

After the Bible, the top sources cited were: Baron Montesquieu at 8.3%, William Blackstone at 7.9%; and John Locke at 2.9%.

Rousseau and Voltaire?

Less than 1%, and many of those citations were to argue with their respective contentions.?

II.

CHRISTIAN BACKGROUND OF THE FRAMERS

There were 55 men who were directly involved in framing the Constitution at the Convention.

Every single one of them had an orthodox Christian background.8

Here is a breakdown:

Slide

Episcopalian/Anglican - 31 - 56.4%

Presbyterian - 16 - 29.1%

Congregationalist - 8 - 14.5%

Quaker - 3 - 5.5%

Catholic - 2 - 3.6%

Methodist - 2 - 3.6%

Lutheran - 2 - 3.6%

Dutch Reformed - 2 - 3.6%

TOTAL - 55 - 100%

IMPORTANT NOTE: They were all sinners!

Some had open infidelities, others owned slaves, etc.

By 1787 there was one of the 55 who had abandoned orthodox faith and could be considered as a Unitarian (belief in Creator God, but not belief in Jesus as an equal).

Ben Franklin (PA) wrote to the Rev. Dr. Ezra Stiles of Yale on March 9, 1790:

"As to Jesus of Nazareth, my Opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the System of Morals and his Religion, as he left them to us, is the best the World ever saw, or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have, with most of the present dissenters in England [Unitarians] some doubts as to his divinity..."9

Slide

Yet Ben Franklin used a verse from the Parable of the Good Samaritan for a motto for his hospital, proposed a picture of God enabling the Children of Israel to triumph over the Egyptians as a National Seal with the motto "Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God, attended every kind of Christian worship, contributed to all denominations, printed sermons for and donated to the Great Awakening Preacher George Whitefield.

He rented pew 70 in Christ Church (Anglican) in Philadelphia and started the fund drive for the new steeple.

1° And he had a Christian funeral and is buried in the Christ Church churchyard.

Another some claim to have been Unitarian later in life was James Wilson (PA), who continued to pay for a pew at the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia until his death (even though he attended Christ Church [Anglican] after 1778).

When the British damaged the First Presbyterian Church during their occupancy of Philadelphia in the revolution, Wilson contributed (100 Pounds) to a fund for the church's restoration, joining two of his fellow Signers of the Declaration, Thomas McKean and Benjamin Rush.

James Wilson is also buried in the same church yard with Ben Franklin."

The other was Hugh Williamson (NC), who grew up Presbyterian and went to school to study for ministry, but apparently later questioned Trinitarian doctrine.