Topics: Founding Fathers

A Great Price Paid

a-great-price-paid-1Richard Stockton was one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was one of those who literally gave his life for American liberty. October 1, 1 is the anniversary of his birthday in 1730.

Richard grew up and practiced law in New Jersey, 2 and had a role in the state government while it was still a British Colony. 3 Although his life was fairly prosperous, he did not let considerations for his own comfort or security stand in the way of principle.  He therefore signed the Declaration of Independence — an action that was considered an act of treason against the British king, carrying with it an automatic penalty of death. He understood the risk, and with the other Founders, announced to the world that “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.”

It was not long before Richard began to suffer the consequences . Some three months after signing the Declaration, he was kidnapped one night by a band of British Loyalists. 4 .  He was placed into a barbaric prison where he was abused and mistreated.5 Congress eventually learned of his imprisonment by the British and moved to secure his freedom, but his health was so destroyed that he never recovered. 6 He died on February 28, 1781,7  never having seen the end of the war, or the liberty that he had worked to secure for others.

Richard maintained his Christian faith throughout his life — a fact that was apparent up to his dying days. In fact, knowing that he was dying as a result of his imprisonment, in his last will and testament, he left clear instructions for his six children he would leave behind:

And as my children will have frequent occasion of perusing this instrument, and may probably be particularly impressed with the last words of their father, I think it proper here not only to subscribe to the entire belief of the great and leading doctrines of the Christian religion, such as the Being of God…the Divinity of the person and the completeness of the redemption purchased by the blessed Savior…but also, in the bowels of a father’s affection, to exhort and charge them, that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom — that the way of life held up in the Christian system is calculated for the most complete happiness that can be enjoyed in this mortal state.8

As a Washington DC newspaper in 1789 accurately noted about America’s Founding:

[Christianity] laid the foundation of this new and great Empire. . . . It is the professed religion of the greatest, wisest, and best men this world has produced.9

Endnotes

1 Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Hartford: R.G.H. Huntington, 1842), 204; Robert W. Lincoln, Lives of the Presidents of the Untied States; with Biographical Notices of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (New York: N. Watson & Co., 1836), 409.
2 L. Carroll Judson, A Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, and of Washington and Patrick Henry (Philadelphia: J. Dobson, and Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., 1839), 67; John Sanderson, Sanderson’s Biography of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence, ed. Robert T. Conrad (Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., 1848), 288.
3 Judson, Biography of the Signers (1839), 68; Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Hartford: R.G.H. Huntington, 1842), 207.
4 Sanderson, Sanderson’s Biography of the Signers, ed. Conrad (1848), 292.
5 Sanderson, Sanderson’s Biography of the Signers, ed. Conrad (1848), 292.
6 Goodrich, Lives of the Signers (1842), 207.
7 Judson, Biography of the Signers (183), 70; Sanderson, Sanderson’s Biography of the Signers, ed. Conrad (1848), 293; Lincoln, Lives of the Presidents (New York: N. Watson & Co., 1836), 409; Goodrich, Lives of the Signers (1842), p. 208.
8 “Will of Richard Stockton,” WallBuilders.
9 The American Museum (Philadelphia: Mathew Carey, 1789), Vol. IV, p. 41, originally printed in The Gazette of the United States on May 9, 1789.

The Constitution and a Duel – What do they have in Common?

September 17th is Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. Our Constitution secures our God-given freedoms that were set forth in the Declaration of Independence, and today we add yet another year to our unsurpassed record as the longest ongoing constitutional republic in the world.

the-constitution-and-a-duel-what-do-they-have-in-common-2 A Founding Father who exerted great influence in our constitutional government was Alexander Hamilton. As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and one of its thirty-nine signers, he played what would be considered a minor role in the debates of the Convention itself. However he (along with John Jay and James Madison) became one of the three men most responsible for the adoption and ratification of the Constitution through the writing and publication of a series of articles which became known as The Federalist Papers.

Hamilton’s career was distinguished, including his service not only as a military aide to General George Washington and his own rise to a military general under Washington, but also as America’s first Secretary of the Treasury under President Washington. But notwithstanding such achievements, he is perhaps best known today today for his duel with Aaron Burr.

In the election of 1800, Hamilton worked against the re-election of incumbent president John Adams. When Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson tied in the vote for president, as required by the Constitution, the contest was sent to the House of Representatives for them to choose a winner. Hamilton strongly supported Jefferson over his fellow-New-Yorker Burr. 1

the-constitution-and-a-duel-what-do-they-have-in-common-4(By the way, during that election cycle in 1800, a number of ministers preached and published pulpit sermons against Jefferson, including Hamilton’s good friend, the Rev. John Mitchell Mason.)

In 1802, Hamilton urged the formation of a “Christian Constitutional Society” whose two-fold goal was “1st, the support of the Christian religion; 2nd, the support of the Constitution of the United States.”2 The purpose of the society was to elect to office those who supported Christianity and the Constitution. Hamilton saw an intrinsic relation between Christianity, the Constitution, and a strong and safe America, and he never viewed the Constitution as a secular document. He openly declared:

For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system which without the finger of God [Luke 11:20] never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests.3

Hamilton’s dream for his Christian Constitutional Society never came to pass. In 1804, he was shot down by Burr in a duel spurred by Burr’s frustration of Hamilton having thwarted so many of his political ambitions.4 (Burr was an egotistic and ambitious man who actually tried to build an empire for himself in what is now Mexico 5). The Rev. Mason attended Hamilton in the hours after he was shot. After Hamilton’s death, he released a pamphlet that included Hamilton’s personal account of the duel as well as Hamilton’s repeated affirmation of his firm personal reliance on God for his salvation.6

As we celebrate our great Constitution, let us not forget those who helped shape it and secured to us the blessings we enjoy today — leaders such as Alexander Hamilton!

Endnotes

1 Appletons’ Cyclopedia of American Biography. 6 vols. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1889, s.v. “Hamilton, Alexander.” See also, Dictionary of American Biography. 21 vols. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1932, s.v. “Hamilton, Alexander.”
2 Alexander Hamilton to James A. Bayard, April 16-21, 1802, National Archive, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-25-02-0321.
3 Alexander Hamilton to Mr. Childs, Wednesday, October 17, 1787, The Federalist and Other Contemporary Papers on the Constitution of the United States, ed. E.H. Scott (New York: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1894), 646.
4 Dictionary of American Biography. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1932), s.v. “Hamilton, Alexander;” Appletons’ Cyclopedia of American Biography. (New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1889), s.v. “Hamilton, Alexander.”
5 “Aaron Burr (1801-1805),” Miller Center, accessed October 27, 2023, https://millercenter.org/president/jefferson/essays/burr-1801-vicepresident.
6 J. M. Mason, An Oration Commemorative of the Late Major General Alexr. Hamilton (London: R. Edwards, 1804).

Happy Easter!

Easter and America

happy-easter-1Easter is celebrated across the world as one of the most significant Christian holy days. It is when Christians pause to remember the great sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as well as the ultimate triumph of His resurrection.
happy-easter-2As Noah Webster, author in 1828 of America’s first English-language dictionary, affirmed:

A festival of the Christian church observed in commemoration of our Savior’s resurrection. It answers to the pascha or Passover of the Hebrews, and most nations still give it this name.

Across the centuries of American history, our leaders have regularly commented on the applicability of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus to various aspects of our daily life.

For example, signer of the Declaration of Independence Charles Carroll viewed Easter as the power for salvation, explaining:

happy-easter-3The approaching festival of Easter, and the merits and mercies of our Redeemer copiosa assudeum redemptio have lead me into this chain of meditation and reasoning, and have inspired me with the hope of finding mercy before my Judge, and of being happy in the life to come — a happiness I wish you to participate with me by infusing into your heart a similar hope.

Benjamin Rush, another signer of the Declaration, pointed out how that Jesus’ resurrection not only redeemed man to God but also to each other. He noted:

happy-easter-4He forgave the crime of murder on His cross; and after His resurrection, He commanded His disciples to preach the gospel of forgiveness, first at Jerusalem, where He well knew His murderers still resided. These striking facts are recorded for our imitation and seem intended to show that the Son of God died, not only to reconcile God to man but to reconcile men to each other.

President Franklin Roosevelt saw in Easter a clear message for youth. Addressing a group of young people in 1936, he told them:

happy-easter-5Yesterday, Christendom celebrated Easter—the anniversary of the Resurrection of Our Lord Who, at the beginning of His ministry was thirty years of age and at His death was only thirty-three. Christianity began with youth, and through the last two thousand years, the spirit of youth repeatedly has revitalized it.

And President Ronald Reagan reminded the nation of the hope that came to Christians through Easter:

happy-easter-6Beginning today and culminating on Sunday morning, Christians will celebrate with their families the resurrection of Christ, His victory over death. We will remember that He gave His body and His blood—washing clean the faults and the shortcomings of the world. In our rejoicing we will renew the hope that is ours through the risen Lord.

Easter is indeed a special day! So, from all of us at WallBuilders, Happy Easter

(As you celebrate this day, you may want to take a little time to read this historical Easter sermon from WallBuilders’ collection.)

Test Your Knowledge: John Quincy Adams

How much do you know about John Quincy Adams?
Take the following quiz to find out!

(Answers at the bottom.)

1. How old was John Quincy Adams when he accompanied his father John Adams (who had been appointed as ambassador) to France, where he became his secretary?

2. Who told John Quincy Adams “[I] would much rather you should have found your grave in the ocean you have crossed, or that any untimely death crop you in your infant years, than see you an immoral, profligate, or graceless child…”?

3. True or False: John Quincy Adams was 18 years old when he received a congressional appointment as secretary to Francis Dana, the American ambassador to Russia.

4. True or False: John Quincy Adams was one of three individuals who served in the U.S. House of Representatives after being President of the United States.

5. True or False: The House of Representatives passed a gag rule to keep John Quincy Adams from introducing petitions calling for the abolition of slavery.

6. What famous Supreme Court case did Adams argue on behalf of a group of captured Africans who had revolted and regained their freedom while on board a ship transporting them into slavery?

Evacuation Day

test-your-knowledge-john-quincy-adams-1March 17 is annually celebrated in Boston as “Evacuation Day,” commemorating the departure of the British from the city after an eleven month occupation at the start of the American Revolution.1 April 19, 1775 through March 17, 1776 was the Siege of Boston. This time encompasses some of the early events of the American Revolution, including the Battles of Lexington and Concord,2 the Battle of Bunker Hill,3 and George Washington taking command of the American army.4

John Quincy Adams, whose family lived near Boston, personally watched the Battle of Bunker Hill at the age of 8.5 Just a few months before, he had performed military drills with the local militia and Minutemen — an event that John Quincy remembered in detail over 50 years later!6

John Quincy Adams spent 68 years of his life in public service for America. Today, on Evacuation Day, his is truly a life worth honoring.

How did you do?

1. He was 10 years old. John Adams went to France in February, 1778 (in his diary, he even talks about a battle his vessel had in early March during the ocean crossing7). John Quincy Adams, born on July 11, 1767, would have been several months shy of his 11th birthday when he accompanied his father.

2. Abigail Adams. See the complete letter from Abigail to John Quincy.8

3. False. John Quincy Adams was 14 years old when he was appointed as Francis Dana’s secretary and translator.9

4. False. Nineteen Presidents have served in the House of Representatives,10 but John Quincy Adams is the only one who was elected to Congress after being president.11

5. True. The “gag rule” was passed by each Congress from 1836-1844, and John Quincy Adams was the leader in the effort that eventually repealed this rule.12

6. United States v. The Amistad, decided in 1841. John Quincy Adams was 73 years old at the time.13 This event is depicted in the famous Hollywood movie Amistad.

Endnotes

1 “The Siege of Boston,” Massachusetts Historical Society, accessed December 8, 2023.
2 “Lexington and Concord,” ushistory.org, accessed December 8, 2023.
3 Bernard Bailyn, “The Battle of Bunker Hill,” Massachusetts Historical Society, accessed December 8, 2023.
4 “Washington takes command of Continental Army in 1775,” April 15, 2016, US Army.
5 “Letter (draft) from John Quincy Adams to Joseph Sturge, March 1846,” Massachusetts Historical Society.
6 John Quincy Adams, entry for August 20, 1827, Memoirs of John Quincy Adams, ed. Charles Francis Adams (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1875), VII:325.
7 John Adams, entry for March 14, 1778, The Works of John Adams, ed. Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1851), III:108.
8 Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, June 1778, Letters of Mrs. Adams, ed. Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1840), I:122-125.
9 Office of the Historian, “Biographies of the Secretaries of State: John Quincy Adams (1767–1848),” Department of State, accessed December 8, 2023.
10 “House Members Who Served as President,” United States House of Representatives, accessed December 8, 2023.
11 “The Election of John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts,” United States House of Representatives, accessed December 8, 2023.
12 “The House “Gag Rule”,” United States House of Representatives, accessed December 8, 2023.
13 “The Amistad Case,” National Archives, accessed December 8, 2023.

Presidents Day

American Exceptionalism — and Our Responsibility to Preserve It

presidents-day-1America is a blessed nation. We enjoy a level of political stability, 1 creative innovation, 2 and national prosperity 3 unknown by any other country in the world. Our uniqueness has been affirmed by presidents across the generations — as when President Thomas Jefferson said:

[T]he comparison of our government with those of Europe is like a comparison of heaven and hell.

President Calvin Coolidge identified God and His principles as the reason for the difference:

presidents-day-2[T]he authority of law, the right to equality, liberty, and property under American institutions, have for their foundation reverence for God. If we could imagine that to be swept away, these institutions of our American government could not long survive.

President Herbert Hoover acknowledged that the intangibles were the key:

Th[e] unparalleled rise of the American man and woman was not alone the result of riches in lands or forests or mines; it sprang from ideas and ideals, which liberated the mind and stimulated the exertion of a people.

Our founding documents embodied this “reverence for God” and the “ideas and ideals” that were the product of that respect. Understanding this, President Harry Truman warned:

presidents-day-4The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence can live only as long as they are enshrined in our hearts and minds. If they are not so enshrined, they would be no better than mummies in their glass cases, and they could in time become idols whose worship would be a grim mockery of the true faith. Only as these documents are reflected in the thoughts and acts of Americans can they remain symbols of a power that can move the world.

This year, we have an opportunity to preserve the great God-given ideals articulated in our nation’s founding documents. We can vote for a president (and other leaders) who fully embrace a respect for God and His principles, and the ideas that flow from Him.

The Scriptures remind us in Proverbs 14:34 that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Our Founding Fathers often repeated this verse, as did leaders across subsequent generations.1 Our first concern as a Christian voter is therefore not our pocketbook or the economy but rather whether a candidate will advance policies upholding Biblical standards of righteousness.

Make sure you keep these values foremost whenever you vote in any election. (If you need more information about voting, including registering to vote, or if you want to see voter guides, please visit Christian Voter Guide.)

presidents-day-6On Presidents Day — and with a presidential election directly in front of us — let’s remember the words of President George Washington and make sure that his concern does not become a reality in our generation:

No country upon earth ever had it more in its power to attain these blessings than United America. Wondrously strange, then, and much to be regretted indeed would it be, were we to neglect the means and to depart from the road which Providence has pointed us to so plainly; I cannot believe it will ever come to pass.

Endnotes

1 See, for example, the number of Constitutions other countries have had in the time we have had one: France (15), Brazil (7), Russia (4), Poland (7), Iraq (4), South Korea (6), China (4), and many more.

2 With only four percent of the world’s population, every year America produces more patents than the rest of the world combined. And also has won more than fifty percent of the world’s Nobel Prizes in various categories.

3 America produces an amazing twenty-eight percent of the world’s entire gross domestic product (GDP).

4 See examples in The Founders Bible article on Proverbs 14:34.

* This article concerns a historical issue and may not have updated information

Religious Freedom Day

Protect the Right of Conscience

religious-freedom-day-1Religious Freedom Day is celebrated in America each year on January 16 — the date of the 1786 passage of Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom. That Virginia statute, like similar ones passed in other states, was designed to give broad protections to religious freedoms, which were subsequently enshrined at the federal level in the First Amendment of the Constitution, which states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

The Founders viewed the First Amendment and the state measures as fully securing the inalienable rights of conscience — the right to hold specific religious beliefs and then act on and behave in accordance with those beliefs. Of all religious rights, they viewed the protection of religious conscience as the most important.

For example, Thomas Jefferson said:

religious-freedom-day-2No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority.

And:

[O]ur rulers can have no authority over such natural rights, only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God.

James Madison similarly declared:

religious-freedom-day-3

Government is instituted to protect property of every sort . . . Conscience is the most sacred of all property.

Sadly, in the 20th century, the rights of conscience were reduced primarily to the right of religious expression — a significant narrowing of original intent. Thus, protection was accorded to certain religious actions but no longer the motivations behind them. The U. S. Supreme Court established what it called the “Lemon Test” which protected religious expressions as long as there was no religious motivations behind them — that is, religious expressions were permitted only if they served a secular purpose and motivation. Thus the rights of conscience became largely irrelevant.

But in the 21st century, the First Amendment was narrowed even further so that the rights of religious conscience are no longer protected. Thus, if your religious conscience says that you cannot participate in a homosexual wedding, or in the funding and promotion of abortions, or if you hold religious beliefs saying that there is a difference in genders, you can be prosecuted.

So on Religious Freedom Day, let’s remember that the foundation of all of our religious liberties is the right of religious conscience. Let’s vigorously defend this right to those around us so that they, too, can recognize and protect the full scope of our religious freedoms.

* This article concerns a historical issue and may not have updated information.

A Family’s Enduring Political Legacy

a-familys-enduring-political-legacy-1

Richard Henry Lee was a prominent Founding Father whose influence helped shape several key documents that made America so distinctive among the nations of the world.

He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and became a president of the Continental Congress. After the Constitutional Convention, he was a leading influence in the movement that led to a federal Bill of Rights to protect individual rights, and as an original US Senator from Virginia, he became an actual framer of the federal Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution).

a-familys-enduring-political-legacy-2 Richard Henry Lee was part of a large family that was something of a political dynasty for the better part of two centuries. His father, Thomas, served as governor of Virginia prior to the American Revolution. His brother, Philip, served in the state legislature, and another brother, Henry, was governor of Virginia after the Revolution. Another of his brothers, Francis Lightfoot Lee (pictured to the right), was also a state legislator and he signed the Declaration of Independence along with his brother, Richard (the only pair of brothers to sign the Declaration).

a-familys-enduring-political-legacy-3 After the American Revolution ended, and while serving as President of the Continental Congress in 1784-1785, Richard wrote to John Adams (then serving as ambassador to England), urging him to assure the Archbishop of Canterbury (the senior bishop of the state-established British Anglican church) that Episcopalian Americans would not be resistant to bishops appointed from England. This letter was enclosed with a letter sent by John Jay on November 1, 1785. On January 4, 1786, John Adams replied to John Jay with the account of his meeting with the Archbishop.

One of the many original items WallBuilders is blessed to have in our library is Richard Henry Lee’s original handwritten copy of John Adams’ January 4, 1786 letter. This letter can be viewed in its entirety on the WallBuilders website.

The national legacy of Founder Richard Henry Lee is one that has spanned the generations, and even today we still feel the positive influences from his leadership.

Who Was Charles Carroll? Take the Quiz!

Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Who in the world is Charles Carroll? Sadly, few Americans today know the answer to this question. Test your knowledge of this famous Founding Father by taking the following quiz!

  1. True or False: Charles Carroll was the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence.
  2. True or False: He was present for the vote on the Declaration of Independence.
  3. True or False: He was involved with a bill for the abolition of slavery in Maryland.
  4. True or False: He helped create a major railroad company in America.
  5. How many children did Carroll have?
  6. Charles Carroll was the only signer of the Declaration to be a member of what religious group?

Charles Carroll was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, helped draft the 1776 original constitution of Maryland, and was an original United States Senator where he helped frame the Bill of Rights.

At WallBuilders, we have a vast collection of historical documents, including several handwritten letters from Charles Carroll. In an interesting one from 1825 to Charles Wharton (an Episcopal clergyman), Carroll makes a very clear statement about his personal faith, declaring:

Too much of my time & attention have been misapplied on matters to which an impartial Judge, penetrating the secrets of hearts, before whom I shall soon appear, will ascribe merit deserving recompense. On the mercy of my redeemer I rely for salvation and on His merits; not on the works I have done in obedience to His precepts [Ephesians 2:8-9].

 

How did you do? Check your answers below!

 

  1. True: Charles Carroll died on November 14, 1832.
  2. False: The actual vote for the Declaration of Independence took place on July 4, 1776, but Carroll was not present for the vote.
  3. True: In December 1789, Charles Carroll was on the committee in the Maryland state senate who were instructed to confer on a bill for the “gradual abolition of slavery.” Carroll reported on behalf of the committee in favor of discussing this bill, but his recommendation was ignored and the bill did not pass.
  4. True: Charles Carroll helped establish the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company in 1828.
  5. Seven
  6. Catholic

*Originally Posted: January 2, 2017

John Dickinson

Delegate from Pennsylvania and Delaware
Signer of the Constitution

john-dickinson-1

Even though John Dickinson served in the Congress that approved the Declaration, and Dickinson and James Wilson were both painted in Trumbull’s “The Declaration of Independence,” of the two, only Wilson signed the document. Dickinson refused to sign because he thought the act might be a bit hasty. Nevertheless, his contributions to the nation were significant. For example:

Dickinson originally represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress, and when he resigned his military position in Pennsylvania, he moved to Delaware, where he served that state in the Continental Congress. He also became President, or Governor, of Delaware and then held that same position in Pennsylvania. As President of Pennsylvania, he issued a proclamation asking the people to observe the Lord’s Day and remain steadfast in their worship of God.

john-dickinson-2

After the Revolution, Dickinson became chairman of the Annapolis Convention, which was the precursor to the Constitutional Convention. When the Constitution was later written, he became a signer and then wrote letters under the pen name Fabius to advocate its passage. He died in Delaware in 1808, having been a significant influence on the formation of the United States and its government.

 john-dickinson-3

The Courts and Religion: Are they Inimical?

James Wilson
Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Signer of the Constitution
Original Justice of the United States Supreme Court

the-courts-and-religion-are-they-inimical-1

James Wilson had a great influence during the American Founding but has been called “the lost Founder” because of his relative modern obscurity.

He was born to a poor family in Scotland 273 years ago today (on September 14, 1742), but managed to attend universities in Glasgow, St. Andrews, and Edinburgh. [1] At the age of 21, he immigrated to America and soon began tutoring at Philadelphia College. He studied law under John Dickinson, a fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence. [2] [John Dickinson was actually a signer of the Constitution, not the Declaration of Independence. For additional information, please see our correction update.]

In 1768, he wrote a pamphlet arguing for American independence but it considered too radical for the times. When public opinion later shifted, it was finally published. Thomas Jefferson copied portions of it for his own use, and it is conceivable that parts of Wilson’s essay even influenced the language of the Declaration. Compare the similarity of Wilson’s writing with the wording of the Declaration:

“All men are by nature equal and free. No one has a right to any authority over another without his consent. All lawful government is founded on the consent of those who are subject to it. Such consent was given with a view to ensure and to increase the happiness of the governed above what they could enjoy in an independent and unconnected state of nature. The consequence is that the happiness of the society is the first law of every government.”  ~ James Wilson“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, …” ~Declaration of Independence

the-courts-and-religion-are-they-inimical-2Wilson served as a Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress, where he voted for and signed the Declaration of Independence. He later was a member of the Constitutional Convention, where he signed the Constitution. [3]

Under the new federal government, President George Washington appointed Wilson as an original justice on the U. S. Supreme Court, where he served for 9 years until his death on August 28, 1798. He was buried at Christ Church in Philadelphia. [4]

Over recent years, the federal courts have become particularly unfriendly to Christianity and religious faith, but it was not that way under Justice Wilson. In fact, Wilson started America’s first organized legal training while he served on the Court, and he told students:

Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed these two sciences run into each other. . . . All [laws], however, may be arranged in two different classes. 1) Divine. 2) Human. . . . But it should always be remembered that this law, natural or revealed, made for men or for nations, flows from the same Divine source: it is the law of God. . . . Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. [5]

Endnotes

1 Nicholas Pederson, “The Lost Founder: James Wilson in American Memory,”  Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities, 22:2:3, (May 8, 2013); Robert K. Wright, Jr. and Morris J. MacGregor, Jr., “James Wilson: Pennsylvania,” Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution (Center of Military History, Washington, D.C., 1987).
2 “James Wilson,” Signers of the Declaration of Independence (2014).
3 “James Wilson, Pennsylvania,” Charters of Freedom: America’s Founding Fathers (accessed September 8, 2015).
4 L. Carroll Judson, A Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Philadelphia : J. Dobson, and Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., 1839), 130-131; “James Wilson, Pennsylvania,” Charters of Freedom: America’s Founding Fathers (accessed September 8, 2015).
5 James Wilson, The Works of the Honourable James Wilson (Philadelphia: Bronson and Chauncey, 1804), I:106 & 103-105.