"It is true that the last state church was disestablished in 1832, but many states retained religious tests for public office, had laws aimed at restricting vice, required prayer in schools, and so forth. Because the federal government was not to be concerned with these issues, they were not addressed in the Constitution. The First Amendment merely reinforced this understanding with respect to the faith—i.e., Congress has no power to establish a national church or restrict the free exercise of religion."
Did America Have a Christian Founding? The Heritage Foundation
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Still, midway till now, the people's focus was for God's grace and abundance to bless the nation. A few more thoughts over America's spiritual fervor of the 1620 Pilgrim landing, America's founding, ,
400-Year-Old Celebration of the Plymouth Pilgrims
Excerpts from A.W. Buel to the New England Society of Michigan, Jan.20,1847
“The religious reformations of Germany and England are yet working out their natural consequences upon the destines of mankind, whilst the civil revolution of America is still exercising its infant powers upon the civilization of the globe. Thus, too, is with those great events, which prepare the way for revolution. Their greatness is realized in the distant future. In their day they may seem obscure and unworthy to be chronicled by the pen of the historian; but, when the law of cause and effect begins to develop its slow an resistless operations upon human civilization, simple events become revolutions. Hence genius can not be tried by its contemporaries, and no generation can best judge of its own virtues and vices, ,
, , The great struggle which now began, and at times became so terrible with the fires of persecution, was a struggle for the rights of private judgment and free individual action in all matters of conscience and religion, the independence of the laity, and the supremacy of the civil power. It was a struggle for popular and democratic liberty, which speedily surpassed the early conceptions of the reformers themselves, and has finally worked out some of its legitimate results and triumphs in the republican freedom of the new world. The German monk emerged from his cloister in search of right, but he found a world in darkness. He returned, and again came forth, bringing a few Christian embers, whose occasional but brilliant flashes served only to increase the gloom, ,
, ,It is not to be supposed, that at this time military rules and tactics were closely studied or followed; yet the militia were then, as they ever since have been, the strong and popular arm of the public defense. A military organization of a popular character was indispensable to the general safety. By popular character, I mean that, which allowed no one to depend upon the colony for mere government protection, but made very able-bodied man a soldier, for the defense of himself and his fellows. Here is the true origin of our militia, and that popular spirit, which invests them with the idea that they possess some sovereign rights; that, as they are obliged to defend themselves against invasion, they have a right so to do, without waiting for the formal requisition of government. ,
, , The liberty of the new world soon began to develop some strange, though perhaps natural results. Freedom in government and religion with some degenerated into licentiousness, or blindness and infatuation, and with others into obstinate radicalism. This was a disturbance, which the early colonists never anticipated, proceeding from a new set of reformers, who proposed to outstrip the Pilgrims themselves in their claims for popular liberty. The course pursued by the old colonies, to suppress these radicals and agitators, neither occasion nor inclination will prompt me to defend, ,
, , As a religious sect, our Pilgrim ancestors were zealous and fervent; ardent in their piety; sincere in their devotions; democratic in their religious organizations; republican in their doctrines; and; if they were intolerant in maintaining them, it was because they had been tortured in the mother country into this extreme, as the only means of self-defence. It was because they found themselves compelled to put on the armor of their enemies.”
- Alexander W. Buel, Educator, Lawyer
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