WHAT AMERICA'S FOUNDERS FEARED MORE THAN FOREIGN ARMIES AND ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

America’s founders were cautiously optimistic about the nation they brought into existence 240 years ago this July 4. Their greatest concern was not a foreign army. Their greatest concern was not an economic collapse. Their greatest concern was that the American populace would turn from the Christian morals and values on which they had built, and which they considered indispensable for political stability and success. As the well-known Catholic historian, William Novak, says, “The founders did not think that the constitutional government they were erecting could survive without Hebrew-Christian faith.”

The Greatest Concern of the Founders

The ink was hardly dry on the new American Constitution when Benjamin Franklin expressed this very concern. At the banquet celebrating the completion of the Constitutional Convention, a Philadelphia matron rushed toward Franklin, and gushed, “O Mister Franklin, what have you gentlemen wrought?” The 81-year-old Franklin is said to have paused, adjusted his glasses and solemnly replied, “A republic madam. If you can keep it.”

Franklin was solemn because in a “republic,” freedoms are guaranteed to the people by a Constitution and Bill of Rights. Franklin knew that those same freedoms they had just enshrined could be turned into anarchy by a self-serving populace that did not have the capacity to govern itself according to internal moral principles.

Franklin and all the Founders knew that the success of the nation they had formed hinged on the moral character of its citizens and their ability to govern themselves according to Christian principles. This is why John Adams, our second president, in a 1798 address to the officers of the Massachusetts Militia, declared,

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . .  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 172-73).

Indeed, the Founders believed Biblical morality to be the only secure basis for the kind of republican government they had created. In 1807, John Adams wrote to Benjamin Rush, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and said, “The Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy, that ever was conceived upon earth. It is the most republican book in the world.”

No Freedom Without Faith

Yes, the Founders greatest concern was that the nation would stray from its faith in God and the result would be the loss of the morality necessary to maintain a republic. Two weeks before the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to his cousin, Zabdiel, a minister of the gospel, and exhorted him in this regard. He wrote,

“Statesmen, my dear sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles, upon which Freedom can securely stand ((Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 173).

When they Founders speak of “religion,” they are speaking of Christianity. In his Farewell Address, after serving two terms as president, George Washington exhorted the fledgling nation that the indispensable supports of political prosperity are “religion and morality.” For Washington, Christianity was not something to be merely “tolerated” in the new nation, but something indispensable for the nation’s survival and success. Thomas Jefferson was so impressed with Washington’s Farewell Address that he made it required reading for all students at the University of Virginia.

The Founders were thus unanimous in their belief that only a virtuous and moral people could maintain the liberties enshrined in the founding documents. They were also unanimous in the belief that such morality and virtue could only be derived from a reformed and vibrant Christianity. As Novak says,

“Far from having a hostility toward religion, the founders counted on religion [Christianity] for the underlying philosophy of the republic, its supporting ethic, and its reliable source of rejuvenation” (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 174).

God’s People Hold the Key to America’s Future

Are we seeing the worst fears of the Founders coming to pass? I believe we are! There is no question of a rising hostility towards Christian morality. We are seeing Christians sued, fined and even jailed for refusing to compromise their sincerely held religious convictions. We have a president who at the beginning of his first term, declared, “America is not a Christian nation,” which was a rejection of the Christian world-view and values on which this nation was built. The Supreme Court’s recent legalization of same-sex marriage was merely another expression of the cultural change taking place as a result of the widespread cultural rejection of any transcendent moral authority, especially Christian. 

But there is hope! Throughout the history of this nation there have been periods of “backsliding” and spiritual indifference, followed by times of Spiritual revitalization and awakening. Such awakenings, however, always begin with the people of God. This means that the answer for America’s ills will not begin at the White House, but at God’s house. I Peter 4:17 says, For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. The promise of a national healing in II Chronicles 7:14 is preceded by the condition, If My people . . .. Significant historical change always begins and ends with the people of God.

We as Christians and Christian leaders must, therefore, lead the way in evaluating our lives in light of the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament, and offering repentance and confession where necessary. As the church acknowledges its backsliding and compromise with the world, God will answer with times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, as promised in Acts 3:19.

This was the experience of a particular church during the Second Great Awakening. The leaders of this church came to realize that in seeking acceptance and approval from contemporary society, they had compromised their commitment to Christ. They, therefore, formulated a public statement concerning their “backsliding and want of a Christian spirit.” It was submitted to the congregation for their approval and then read before the congregation.

As the confession was being read publicly, the entire congregation stood to its feet with many of its members weeping. Charles Finney, who related this incident, said that from that moment the revival went forward in power and the opposition, which had been bitter, was silenced. The Second Great Awakening (1800-1840) continued to grow and swell like a great tsunami wave until, as the circuit-riding Methodist preacher, Peter Cartwright, said, “Our nation seemed all coming to God.”

America Can Be Great Again

This critical role of an awakened Christianity in the life of America is affirmed in a quote from an unknown visitor to this country, probably in the first half of the nineteenth century. If, as some think, the visitor was Alexis de Tocqueville, then the year was 1831 during the time of the Second Great Awakening. This Awakening revitalized America after a spiritual and moral downturn after the Revolutionary War.

This visitor, who was obviously searching for the secret to America’s rapid rise to affluence and power, recounts how he sought for America’s greatness in her form of government, her educational system, her vast commerce, etc. This visitor then said something astounding. He said,

“Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great” (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 177-78).

America can be great again, not by seeking greatness, but by seeking God. America can be great again, not by running from her past, but by reconnecting with her past and learning from her Founders, who like the above visitor, tied America’s future greatness to her ability to maintain her goodness.

As we reconnect with our radical Christian roots of faith and freedom, America’s current course will be altered. As we pray for Spiritual awakening, a national healing will occur, not instigated by a new program from Washington, D.C., but sent down from Heaven as promised in II Chronicles 7:14. When that happens, all Americans will be able to sing with thankfulness of heart that patriotic hymn that says,

“America! America!

God shed His grace on Thee.

And crown Thy good,

With brotherhood,

From sea to shining sea.”

This article is derived from Eddie Hyatt's latest book, Pilgrims and Patriots, available from Amazon and from his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. Pat Robertson has called this book "a must-read."

"A Must-Read." - Pat Robertson

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AMERICA'S SPIRITUAL FOUNDING FATHER

He became the most recognizable and talked about figure in Colonial America. From Georgia to Maine, thousands filled churches and gathered in open fields to hear him preach. Loved by the masses, he was detested by many of the clergy who refused him their pulpits. Undaunted, he preached in the open fields to massive crowds of all sects and denominations.

At a time when the population of Boston was estimated at seventeen thousand, he preached to an estimated crowd of twenty thousand on the Boston Common. The Awakening he ignited became the first national event the scattered American colonists experienced as a single people, leading Thomas S. Kidd of Baylor University to say, "Whitefield was the central figure in the process by which the disparate colonists became Americans" (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 58). 

Great revival seemed to erupt everywhere he went. Denominational walls were broken down and for the first time the scattered American colonists began to see themselves as a single people with one Divine destiny. Through his incessant labors and his love for America, George Whitefield (1713-1770) helped prepare the way for the formation of the United States of America.

Communities Are Entirely Transformed

A native of England, Whitefield departed his home country at the age of twenty-four in 1738 with a burden for the American colonists and a prayer that they would not live as thirteen scattered colonies, but as “one nation under God” (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 100). With a heart totally given to God and possessing a rare oratorical gift, he was providentially prepared and positioned for such a moment in history. As he traveled up and down the eastern seaboard, shop keepers closed their doors, farmers left their plows, and workers threw down their tools to hurry to the place where he was to preach.

Nathan Cole gave a vivid description of the stir it caused throughout the region when Whitefield preached in Middletown, Connecticut. Cole was working in his field twelve miles away near Kensington when someone told him that Whitefield would be preaching in Middletown at 10 o’clock that same morning.

Cole immediately dropped his tools, ran to the house, and told wife to get ready to go and hear Whitefield preach. He then saddled their horse, they both mounted and hurried on their way to Middletown. Concerned that the horse might tire carrying two riders that distance, Cole would ride for a while and then dismount and run alongside.

As they approached the main road from Hartford to Middletown, they saw an amazing sight. A cloud of dust rose above the hills and trees and they heard a sound like a low rumbling thunder. As they drew closer they realized that the dust and sound were caused by a massive company of horses and riders that filled the road, all on their way to hear Whitefield preach. No one made a sound and there was something surreal about the scene as every rider seemed somber and intent on their purpose. “It made me tremble to see the sight,” said Cole.

Cole and his wife finally reached Middletown covered with dust. There they encountered another amazing sight. He said,

When we got to the Middletown old meeting house there was a great multitude, which was said to be three or four thousand people assembled together. I turned and looked towards the great river and saw the ferry boats running swift bringing over loads of people. The land and banks over the river looked black with people and horses all along the 12 miles. I saw no man at work in his field, but all seemed to be gone. When I saw Mr. Whitefield come upon the scaffold he looked almost angelical; a young, slim, slender youth before some thousands of people with a bold undaunted countenance. And my hearing how God was with him everywhere he came along, it solemnized my mind and put me into a trembling fear before he began to preach, for he looked as if he was clothed with authority from the Great God, and a sweet, solemn solemnity sat upon his brow. And my hearing him preach gave me a heart wound. By God’s blessings, my old foundation was broken up, and I saw that my righteousness would not save me (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 78-79).  

Benjamin Franklin and Philadelphia Are Transformed

Whitefield preached in Philadelphia and saw incredible results. Benjamin Franklin’s testimony of the impact of his preaching on the city is particularly significant since he did not profess to be a Christian at the time. In his Autobiography, Franklin tells of the incredible transformation that came over the city when Whitefield came there on his first of seven visits to America. He wrote,

The multitudes of all sects and denominations that attended his sermons were enormous, and it was a matter of speculation to me, who was one of the number, to observe the extraordinary influence of his oratory on his hearers. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 79).  

Whitefield and Franklin became close friends and business partners, with Franklin taking on the task of printing and distributing Whitefield’s sermons and journals. They kept up a lively correspondence until Whitefield’s death some thirty-one years later, and Whitefield stayed in Franklin’s home on at least one subsequent visit to Philadelphia. In a letter to his brother James, a printer in Boston, Franklin said, “Whitefield is a good man and I love him” (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 45).

Franklin admits that he was skeptical of reports of Whitefield preaching being heard by crowds of 25,000 and more. While listening to Whitefield preach from the top of the Philadelphia courthouse steps to a huge throng, Franklin, having an inquiring and scientific mind, retired backward to see how far Whitefield’s voice would reach. He then did some calculations and decided that Whitefield’s voice, which he described as “loud and clear,” could be heard by crowds of thirty thousand and more.

The Awakening Touches All Sects and Denominations

Although ordained with the Church of England, Whitefield did not have a denominational bone in his body. In England, he had been instrumental in spearheading the great Methodist Revival along with the Wesley brothers. He freely fellowshipped with all true believers, including Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Quakers, and any who honored God and confessed Jesus Christ as the true Lord of the Church.

In one of his sermons, as he was preaching in the open air to a great multitude representing various sects and denominations, Whitefield pretended to converse with Father Abraham, whom he pictured as looking over the banister of heaven at the gathered multitude.

Whitefield cried out, “Father Abraham, are there any Anglicans in heaven?”

The answer came back, “No, there are no Anglicans in heaven.”

“Father Abraham, are there any Methodists in heaven?”

“No, there are no Methodists in heaven.”

“Are there any Presbyterians in heaven?”

“No, there are no Presbyterians here either.”

“What about Baptists or Quakers?” 

“No, there are none of those here either.”

“Father Abraham,” cried Whitefield, “What kind of people are in heaven?”

The answer came back, “There are only Christians in heaven, only those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb.”

Whitefield then cried out, “Oh, is that the case? Then God help me, God help us all, to forget having names and to become Christians in deed and in truth!”

Although accounts of his meetings often describe the multitudes as standing and listening in rapt silence, accounts also reveal intense emotional responses at times, as things eternal were made real to their hearts and minds. On one occasion after preaching to a huge throng gathered outdoors, Whitfield surveyed the crowd and noted the amazing response. He wrote in his Journal,

Look where I would, most were drowned in tears. Some were struck pale as death, others wringing their hands, others lying on the ground, others sinking into the arms of their friends and most lifting up their eyes to heaven and crying out to God (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 104).

Cultural Change

The Great Awakening literally changed the moral climate of colonial America. Entire communities were transformed. Profanity, lewdness, and drunkenness almost completely disappeared, especially in some areas. Reports in New England alone show thirty thousand to forty thousand converts and 150 new churches. No one had a greater role in this transformation than George Whitefield.

There were many local and regional revivals at the time, but by his incessant travels Whitefield made the Great Awakening one national event. It was the first time the scattered colonists of various, national, denominational and theological persuasions had participated together in a single event. Denominational walls were broken down, and for the first time, the colonists began to see themselves as a single people with one Divine destiny, “One Nation Under God,” as Whitfield had prayed.

The preaching of Whitefield also helped democratize the inhabitants of the colonies by showing no preference based on race, wealth, or social status. For Whitefield, everyone was on the same level, that is, guilty sinners before God, with only one solution for the sin problem, that being faith in Jesus Christ. He did not spare anyone because of their social status.

When, for example, a black woman was roundly criticized because she interrupted a white preacher with shouts of praise to God, Whitefield came to her defense and expressed his firm belief that at that moment, “The Lord Jesus took a great possession of her soul.” He went on to say, “I doubt not, when the poor Negroes are to be called, God will highly favor them, to wipe off their reproach, and show that He is no respecter of persons" (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 70-71).   

The preaching of Whitefield helped create a national identity and prepared the way for nationhood. Harvard professor, William Perry, surely had Whitefield in mind when he wrote, “The Declaration of Independence of 1776 was a direct result of the evangelical preaching of the evangelists of the Great Awakening” (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 56).

Historian, Benjamin Hart, points out that when Whitefield visited America for the final time in 1770, even the Episcopal (Anglican) churches, which had initially rejected him, opened their doors to him. He goes on to say,

The true Spirit of Christ had dissolved sectarian differences. America considered itself to be a nation of Christians, pure and simple, as Whitefield noted with satisfaction. “Pulpits, hearts and affections,” he said, were opened to him and any preacher of whatever denomination who had a true Christian message to share (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 59).

Whitefield Burns Out for God

Whitefield loved America and made seven visits to this land. During his seventh and final visit in 1770, Whitefield was continuing his incessant travels even though he had been experiencing weakness, pain in his chest and had been coughing up blood. On September 29 he preached to large crowed in an open field near Newburyport, Massachusetts. With night falling, he retired to the home of a friend, Reverend Jonathan Parsons, to spend the night. Hundreds, however, followed him to the home wanting to hear more of God’s love and power.

Although weak in body and night had fallen, Whitefield emerged from the house with a candle and announced to the multitude that he would preach and pray until the candle burned out. There were many tears and cries to God as he continued to pour out His heart to the people and to God. Finally, the candle burned down and went out. Whitefield bid the people a final farewell, returned to the house and went to bed.

His sleep, however, was restless and he awakened in the middle of the night with an asthma attack. He then went back to sleep but awakened later with a tight chest and difficulty breathing. He finally stopped breathing altogether and despite a doctor’s attempts to revive him, he expired at 6 a.m. on September 30, 1770.

Offers to bury him came from New Hampshire and from Boston’s Old South Church. Parsons, however, quickly arranged for Whitefield’s interment in the vault of the Newburyport Presbyterian Church, where his remains still lie today.

Daniel Rogers, who had been converted under Whitefield’s ministry thirty years before and had remained a loyal friend, prayed at the funeral. He said that he owed his conversion “to the labors of that dear man of God, whose precious remains now lay before them.” Rogers then began weeping and crying, “O my father, my father!” The congregation melted into tears (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 40).

Condolences poured in from throughout the colonies and from Great Britain. Franklin was in London at the time of Whitefield’s death. When he received word of his friend’s passing, he wrote,

I knew him intimately upwards of thirty years; his integrity, disinterestedness, and indefatigable zeal in prosecuting every good work, I have never seen equaled, I shall never see exceeded (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 40).

Benjamin Franklin, the skeptical printer of Philadelphia, and America, would never be the same as a result of the “indefatigable zeal” of George Whitefield in preaching the Gospel to colonial America. This is why Thomas S. Kidd, Professor of History at Baylor University, has called Whitefield “America’s Spiritual Founding Father” (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 61).

Where are the George Whitefields of this generation, both men and women, who will proclaim God's truth without fear of man? May they stand up now!

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, historian, and Bible teacher with a passion to see America experience another Great Awakening. This article was derived from his books, 1726: The Year that Defined America and George Whitefield, both available from Amazon and his website website at www.eddiehyatt.com.

SEVERED ROOTS

“To destroy a people you must first sever their roots.”
Alexander Solzhenitsyn

When President Barack Obama stood before a foreign audience and declared, “America is not a Christian nation,” he was not making a factual statement based on history. It was, instead, an ideological statement tied to his stated goal to “fundamentally transform” America. He knew the task of transformation would be made easier if he could sever the country from its Christian roots, for as Karl Marx said, “A people without a heritage are easily persuaded.”

The severing of America from its Christian roots did not begin with Barack Obama. For at least the past 100 years, and growing, there has been an all-out attempt by historical revisionists to sever America from is Christian past. Just look at any modern textbook on American history and compare it with the writings of the founding generation. The common references by the founding generation to faith in God and the importance of Christian morality for political stability are glaringly missing in the modern renditions.

This was confirmed in a recent "Revive America" event where I was showing on the big screen direct quotes from the Pilgrims as to why they had come to America. After the meeting, a young man came up and excitedly told me how he was taking a course on American history at the local community college. "The professor," he said, "Just told us that the Pilgrims did not come to America for religious reasons, but for economic reasons." He then exclaimed, "But there it is in their own words!"

Indeed, the Constitution of the New England Confederation, formed in 1643, began with the statement, "Whereas we all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and to enjoy the Liberties of the Gospel in purity and peace." America's Christian roots were generally understood as late as 1892 when in the case of "Holy Trinity Church vs. The United States," the U.S. Supreme Court declared, "Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of Mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise . . . our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian."

This understanding of America's Christian past has been vehemently challenged and altered. From the White House to the Schoolhouse there has been a severing of America from her Christian past.  

“To destroy a people you must first sever her their roots,” said Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the award winning writer who spent time in a Russian labor camp. He was speaking from first-hand knowledge of how the communists sought to sever the Russian people from their Christian past. 

This is what is happening in America today. For those who have a vision of a secularist, socialist America, this is vital; for as George Orwell, in his classic 1984, said, “Whoever controls the past, controls the future.” 

It is time for America to be reconnected with her Christian roots! I wrote the book Pilgrims and Patriots for this purpose. As stated in the subtitle, this book documents “the radical Christian roots of American democracy and freedom.” The people who provided the moral and intellectual foundations for America’s founding were devout Christians who were willing to pay the ultimate price for a new nation based on both faith and freedom. This generation must not be robbed of this truth.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s new book, Pilgrims and Patriots, is scheduled for release on July 10 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon and from his website bookstore at www.eddiehyatt.com. It is now available in Kindle.

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WAS AMERICA FOUNDED ON RACIST PRINCIPLES?

This article is derived from Eddie Hyatt's latest book, Pilgrims and Patriots, which can be pre-ordered from Amazon. It is scheduled for release in Kindle on June 12 and in paperback on July 12. Pat Robertson calls this book "a must-read."

In a few days, America will celebrate its 240th birthday. Secularists love to insist that America was founded on racist principles, as did Bernie Sanders when he spoke at Liberty University. The fatal flaw in this argument, however, is that the concept of race does not exist in either the Declaration of Independence or the United States Constitution. There is no reference to individuals according to race, ethnicity or skin color. There is no mention of slaves or slavery. Instead of using race classifications, as modern liberals love to do, the Constitution speaks of “citizens,” “persons” and “other persons.”

America's Founding Documents are Colorblind

There is nothing to indicate that the freedoms guaranteed in the Declaration and Constitution do not apply to every individual. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood this and in his stirring “I Have a Dream" speech, he challenged America, not to dispense with its founding documents, but to live up to its founding documents. Quoting from the Declaration of Independence, he declared his hope, “That one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

Showing that he understood these freedoms to be rooted in the country’s Christian origins, Dr. King, who was a devout Christian, went on to say that he had a dream that one day all Americans, whether white or black, would be able to sing together the words of that Christian, patriotic hymn,

My country tis of Thee,

Sweet land of liberty, of Thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died,
Land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside,

Let freedom ring!

America’s founding principles are colorblind, even if her history has not been. The famous abolitionist, Frederick Douglas, understood this and argued that the language of the founding documents must be understood as applying to everyone. “Anyone of these provisions in the hands of abolition statesmen, and backed by a right moral sentiment," he declared, "would put an end to slavery in America.”

The Truth About the Three-Fifths Clause

One of the most misunderstood sections of the Constitution is the three-fifths clause in which only three-fifths of the slave population of southern states would be counted for representation. This had nothing to do with assigning value based on race. This was related to keeping the southern states from gaining too much power in the new Congress where the number of representatives from each state would be tied to the population of that state.

The southern states wanted to include their slave populations in order to gain more representatives and more power in the new government. The three-fifths compromise was a way of diminishing their influence in the new Congress by counting only three-fifths of the slave population for purposes of representation. 

Even here the Founders did not use the word "slaves" or slavery," but "other persons." Abraham Lincoln described this refusal of the Founders to acknowledge slavery in the Constitution as like a man who hides an ugly, cancerous growth until the time comes that it can be eradicated from his body.

That the three-fifths clause had nothing to do with assigning value based on race is confirmed by the fact that at the time of the Constitutional Convention there were at least sixty-thousand free blacks in northern and southern states who counted the same as white people when it came to determining the number of representatives to Congress. There were also as many as ten states where blacks already had full voting privileges.

The Precise & Powerful Language of the Founders

At the Constitutional Convention concessions were made toward the southern states because of concern that a union could not succeed if all thirteen colonies were not included. The Founders, however, were careful and precise in their language. They referred to slaves as “persons” and never used the words “black” or “white,” “slave” or “slavery.” Though not banning slavery outright at the time, the Founders put in place the legal mines and language that would eventually blow it up.

George Mason of Virginia, however, argued against such concessions and for the immediate outlawing of slavery. He warned of the judgment of God if slavery was allowed to continue, saying,

Every master is born a petty tyrant. They bring the judgment of Heaven upon a country. As nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world, they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and effects, Providence punishes national sins by national calamities.

Many see the Civil War and the loss of 700,000 lives as the judgment that Mason predicted. Thomas Jefferson shared Mason’s concern for it was in the context of the continued existence of slavery that he wrote,

God who gave us life, gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and that His justice cannot sleep forever.

Slavery Eradicated by the Constitution

With this sort of Biblical and moral opposition to slavery at the nation's founding, it is easy to see how its days were already numbered. Most of the Founders who happened to be slave owners set their slaves free. Two years before the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin set his two slaves free and began to advocate for abolition. George Washington’s situation was more complex for he had inherited a large plantation with a number of slaves and to suddenly thrust them unprepared out into the world would have been cruel and inhumane.

Washington, therefore, set in motion a compassionate program to completely disentangle Mt. Vernon from the institution of slavery. Those slaves who wanted to leave were free to do so. Those who chose to remain were paid wages, and he began a program to educate and prepare the children of slaves for freedom. He declared, “I clearly foresee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our union by consolidating it in a common bond of principle.”

The Founders did not invent slavery. They were born into a world where slavery already existed. They were not perfect and it can be argued that they conceded too much at the time. Nonetheless, they did an admirable job of formulating founding documents that would eventually eradicate that horrendous institution and make America "the land of the free and home of the brave," with people of every race and ethnicity wanting to live here.  

This article is derived from Eddie Hyatt's latest book, Pilgrims and Patriots, which can be pre-ordered from Amazon. It is scheduled for release in Kindle on June 12 and in paperpack on July 12. Pat Robertson has called this book "a must-read."

"A Must-Read." - Pat Robertson

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