Today, there are “No
Kings” protests across America led by anti-Trump activists who are trying to
connect their protest to early America’s rejection of monarchy. The truth is,
however, that George Washington and the entire founding generation wanted America
to have a king.
In fact, during the Revolutionary War, there was a cry
that resounded throughout the American colonies, “We recognize no Sovereign but
God and no king but Jesus!” This cry came forth when the War erupted at Lexington, MA on April 18, 1775.
King George III had sent six regiments of British
troops, commanded by General Thomas Gage, to bring the “rebellious” colonists
under subjection. British troops occupied the city of Boston, locked down its
port, and were housed by force in private homes.
Hearing there was rebellion stirring about 30 miles
from Boston in Lexington, Gage sent troops led by Major Pitcairn to Lexington
to put down the rebellion. Pitcairn arrived in Lexington and shouted to an
assembled group of minutemen volunteers, "Disperse, ye villains,
lay down your arms in the name of George the Sovereign King of England."
Rev. Jonas Clarke, pastor of the Church of Christ in
Lexington, was standing with the minutemen and shouted back, “We recognize no
Sovereign but God and no king but Jesus!” That cry caught the imagination of
American patriots everywhere and soon rang throughout the colonies.
This cry became so prominent throughout the colonies that
a British-appointed governor, Jonathan Trumbull, wrote back to England, “If you
ask an American who is his master, he will tell you he has none, nor any
governor but Jesus Christ” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 81).
This Christ-centered mindset was the fruit of the Great Awakening (1726-70) that transformed colonial America. The major
preachers of the Awakening, such as George Whitefield (Anglican), Jonathan
Edwards (Congregational), and Gilbert Tennant (Presbyterian) emphasized that
only faith in Jesus Christ would make one a true Christian.
This emphasis on faith in Jesus Christ, rather than
church membership, as the central issue of Christianity gave the colonists a
point of convergence in their various expressions of faith. This emphasis on
the centrality of Christ broke down doctrinal and denominational dividing
walls so that the people began to see themselves as a single people with one
Divine destiny—one nation under God..
That this statement was no passing fad but was deeply
ingrained in the mindset and culture of the founding generation, is obvious
from the following quotes.
“Bless,
O Lord, the whole race of mankind, and let the world be filled with the
knowledge of Thee and Thy Son, Jesus Christ.”
From a prayer journal
belonging to George Washington, often called “the Father of the Country” and
the nation’s first president.
“Pray that the peaceful
and glorious reign of our Divine Redeemer may be known throughout the whole
family of mankind.”
Samuel
Adams, Founding Father and Governor of Massachusetts. This call to prayer was
part of a proclamation for a Day of Prayer that he issued as Governor of MA in
1795.
“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.”
John
Hancock, President of the Continental Congress and Governor of Massachusetts.
This statement was part of a call for prayer he issued while Governor.
“Might
it not greatly facilitate the introduction of pure religion among the heathen,
if we could, by such a colony, show them a better sample of Christians than
they commonly see.”
Benjamin Franklin in a
1756 letter to George Whitefield, the most famous preacher of the Great
Awakening, in which Franklin proposed that they partner together in founding a
Christian colony on the Ohio frontier.
“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.”
James
Madison, chief architect of the Constitution and America’s fourth president, in
1785 voicing his opposition to a bill that he perceived would have the
unintended consequence of hindering the spread of the Gospel.
“The philosophy of Jesus
is the most sublime and benevolent code of morals ever offered man. A more
beautiful or precious morsel of ethics I have never seen.”.
Thomas
Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence and America’s third
president, who took money from the federal treasury to send missionaries to an
American Indian tribe and to build them a chapel in which to worship.
In 1783, after defeating the British and making independence from King George a reality,
George Washington wrote a letter to the governors of the various states in which
he admonished them to make Jesus Christ their example and role model for life. In
short, he wanted Jesus Christ to be their king. He wrote,
I
now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which
you preside, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the
citizens . . . to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific
temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our
blessed religion [Jesus Christ], and without an humble imitation of His example
in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation (Hyatt, 1726: TheYear that Defined America, 120).
Yes, George Washington and early America recognized a king.
His name is Jesus!
This is what made America great, for as Psalm 33:12 says, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD!
This article is derived from books by Eddie Hyatt, particularly 1726: The Year that Defined America and America's Revival Heritage, both available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.
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