15. Mr. Duché be desired to open Congress tomorrow morning with prayer, at Carpenter's hall, at nine o'clock.". To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. – Declaration of Independence, 1776. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. 6. During the American Revolution, when the American Founders wrote the Declaration of Independence to form the new nation of the United States, they included principles in the document that characterized America’s founding philosophy. One of these principles was the idea of God as “Divine Providence.” The Founders concluded the Declaration by stating, “For the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor [emphasis mine].” Their description shows that they acknowledged and upheld a Judeo … Oct 26, 2014 - "For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." Such expressions of God’s intervention in human affairs clearly departed from the deist view of a distant, passive God in favor of a near, loving God as conveyed in the Bible. 13-14, ed. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” Deuteronomy 28:15, 37: “‘If you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes…all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. 21. or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? That the states overcame so many differences and came together in unity was, in their minds, the work of God. Be Thou present, O God of wisdom [see James 1:5], and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. O Lord, our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings and Lord of lords [1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:16], Who dost from Thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth, and reignest with power supreme and uncontrollable over the kingdoms, empires and governments [Isaiah 9:6]; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressors and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection. Copyright © American Heritage Education Foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be restored and truth and justice, religion and piety prevail and flourish among the people. [vi] Thomas Jefferson to David Barrow, Monticello, 1 May 1815, in The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Definitive ed., vol. This Judeo-Christian view of a providential God was widely recognized by and impacted early Americans of the revolutionary and founding eras, including many founders and congressmembers. Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Congress, 362-365, or in the “Miracle of America Snapshots” handout under member resources at americanheritage.org. The many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause. Concepts in the Declaration of Independence…. let the voice of thy unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war in their unnerved hands in the day of battle. Defeat the malicious designs of our adversaries, convince them of the unrighteousness of their cause; and if they still persist in their sanguinary purpose, oh! 1st the US Declaration of Independence Anno Domini 1776 2nd the US Constitution Anno Domini 1788 3rd the US Bill of Rights Anno Domini 1791 All Acts of Divine Providence for/to All Those Who Have Faith and Believe - Amen ~ RHF . While it certainly declares the founding fathers' intent "to dissolve the political bands" to a despotic British sovereign and lists his "repeated injuries and usurpations," it does so on the basis of "unalienable rights" and principles endowed to them by Almighty God; their Creator, the Supreme Judge of the world. July 4th Ponderings: Our Declaration of Dependence on Divine Providence Why the Declaration of Independence is as much about dependence on Divine Providence as independence from tyranny. "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." 9. Related articles/videos: He has been involved in ministry in various capacities in the United States and Europe since 1993. 10. Academics, legislators, judges, and ordinary citizens all frequently seek to validate their opinions and policy prescriptions by identifying them with the statesmen who led America to nationhood. The American Revolution: An Introduction For example, in his 1776 political sermon The Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Men, Declaration signer and Presbyterian minister John Witherspoon spoke of Providence as many colonists generally understood it, as a wise and directing presence in their lives. Purpose/Objective: Students learn key principles of the Declaration of Independence including Creator God, Supreme Judge and Divine Providence, Law of Nature and Nature’s God, Popular Sovereignty and Consent of the Governed, Unalienable Rights, and Social Contract. This common definition of divine providence not only encompasses the attributes of God, but also His sovereignty over His creation. In the midst of a fallen world corrupted by sin, this God cares for and guides people by His wisdom and love and for His divine purpose. This was on July 4, 1776. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Aftermath . Portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Charles Willson Peale, 1791. [i] John Witherspoon, “The Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Men,” 17 May 1776, in The Works of John Witherspoon, in Three Volumes, vol. It was acknowledged by the early church, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin, and the colonial American Puritans and Awakeners. Portrait of Benjamin Franklin by Joseph Duplessis, c1785, Even the few American Founders who some claim were deist, including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, specifically expressed the belief that God is active in the world. Button Gwinnett. 1) Chapter 7 of Miracle of America reference/text. Our efforts are in His hand, and directed by it; and He will give them their effect in his own time.”[vi] Similarly, when the 1787 Constitutional Convention almost fell apart, during a long and difficult deadlock among representatives in their drafting of the United States Constitution, Declaration and Constitution signer Franklin stood up and gave an impassioned speech advising delegates to remember God’s aid during the revolution and to pray again for God’s direction in constructing their government. Jacob Duché who also read from Psalm 35, the scripture of the day in the Book of Common Prayer. by Stephen E. Lucas The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is perhaps the most masterfully written state paper of Western civilization. Three P’s That Led to Freedom in the West: Printing Press, Protestant Reformation, & Pilgrims It was these men who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, having acknowledged their “firm reliance on divine Providence.” [viii] James Madison, Federalist Paper #37, The Federalist Papers, ed. Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to webmaster@ucg.org. Georgia. … And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. He holds a BA in Theology and a MA in Organizational Management and is also President of SUPERB Industries, Inc. United Church of God is a 501(c)3 organization. This God, they believed, has a divine plan and provides guidance and care for mankind. John Adams confirms decades later in an 1813 letter to Thomas Jefferson the original intent of those formative years: "The general Principles, on which the Fathers Achieved Independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite…Now I will avow, that I then believed, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God" (John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, June 28th, 1813, from Quincy in The Adams-Jefferson Letters). Name panels BUTTON GWINNETT PLANTER - ST. They also affirmed God’s providence on numerous occasions. 16. Soon after, the convention deadlock was broken, and the discussions continued successfully. We have become a nation.[x]. Read the full text of the Declaration of Independence. ‘Tis done! The American Right of Revolution … It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution.[viii]. [x] Benjamin Rush, Observations on the Fourth of July Procession in Philadelphia, in Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. --- Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, 1776. I would venture to say that it is the strength our ancestors tapped in to and declared in that last sentence of our Declaration of Independence, “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our … Are we still on the same course? That the God who created the Universe has blessed our nation with the choicest bounties of heaven is a matter of historical fact. To download this whole unit, sign up as an AHEF member (no cost) to access the “resources” page on americanheritage.org. Declaration signer Benjamin Rush likewise expressed God’s role in the formation of the New Republic: I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of [divine] inspiration, but I am perfectly satisfied, that the union of the states, in its form and adoption, is as much the work of divine providence, as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament were the effects of a divine power. I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God Governs in the affairs of men [see Daniel 4:17]. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war and conquest. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager. The Catholic Counter-Reformation He writes, The real wonder is that so many difficulties should have been surmounted, and surmounted with a unanimity almost as unprecedented as it must have been unexpected. How the American Puritans were like the Bible’s Israelites In Congress, July 4, 1776. 3) Related articles/videos (see above). See the “Concepts in the Declaration of Independence” principle chart in the “Supporting Resources” section of this Miracle of American HS Teacher Course Guide, p. 388. But can it last? Indeed, the ultimate formation of the new nation and adoption of the U. S. Constitution was, to the Founders, a miraculous accomplishment. [v] United States Continental Congress, Congressional Resolution, Treasury Office, October 26, 1781, in United States Library of Congress, Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, vol. [vii]. 18, eds. Charles F. Adams (New York: Hurd and Houghton, 1876), 37, 38. 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