christian history made easy chapter ten “talkin’ ‘bout some revolutions”

CHRISTIAN HISTORY CHRISTIAN HISTORY MADE EASYMADE EASY

Chapter TenChapter Ten

““Talkin’ ‘Bout Some Revolutions”Talkin’ ‘Bout Some Revolutions”

© 2003 Timothy Paul © 2003 Timothy Paul JonesJones

http://www.timothypauljones.comhttp://www.timothypauljones.com

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Seventeenth-Century Seventeenth-Century English Religious LifeEnglish Religious Life

Four primary religious groupsFour primary religious groups were were ……

1. 1. Anglicans.Anglicans. Supporters of the Supporters of the Church of EnglandChurch of England

2. 2. Puritans.Puritans. Members of the Church Members of the Church of England who wanted to of England who wanted to purify the purify the ChurchChurch of all non-biblical practices of all non-biblical practices

Seventeenth-Century Seventeenth-Century English Religious LifeEnglish Religious Life

Four primary religious groupsFour primary religious groups were … were … 3. 3. Separatists.Separatists. Puritans whose desire Puritans whose desire

for purity in the Church of England led for purity in the Church of England led them to them to separate from the Church of separate from the Church of EnglandEngland

4. 4. Non-conformists.Non-conformists. English English Christians, such as Quakers and Christians, such as Quakers and Baptists, who Baptists, who disagreed with any link disagreed with any link between the church and the between the church and the governmentgovernment

The PilgrimsThe Pilgrims

The Pilgrims The Pilgrims were were notnot seeking seeking religious freedom religious freedom for everyonefor everyone..

They were They were Separatists who Separatists who desired desired a place a place where they could where they could follow follow their their beliefsbeliefs without without interference from interference from the Church of the Church of England.England.

The PilgrimsThe Pilgrims

In the Pilgrims’ In the Pilgrims’ commonwealth, commonwealth, the link between the link between church and church and government government remainedremained..

LawsLaws were based were based on the on the Bible,Bible, primarily the Old primarily the Old Testament.Testament.

The Rise of The Rise of Religious LibertyReligious Liberty

The Plymouth The Plymouth colony’s leaders colony’s leaders punished and punished and exiledexiled many Non- many Non-Conformists, Conformists, including including BaptistsBaptists and and QuakersQuakers, , because they because they deviated from deviated from Puritan theology Puritan theology and practice.and practice.


Roger WilliamsRoger Williams was a Separatist was a Separatist who preached who preached among the among the Native Native Americans.Americans.

Williams was Williams was exiled when he exiled when he declared, declared, “The “The Natives are the Natives are the true owners of true owners of this land.”this land.”


Williams founded a colony south Williams founded a colony south of Massachusetts, namedof Massachusetts, named “Providence.”“Providence.”

The charter of Providence The charter of Providence declared,declared, “No person within said “No person within said colony shall be called into colony shall be called into question for any opinion in question for any opinion in matters of religion.”matters of religion.”

““There is Already a There is Already a Great Death Upon Great Death Upon

Religion”Religion” Many Many children in the Puritans’ children in the Puritans’

Massachusetts Bay colony Massachusetts Bay colony did not did not grow to share their parents’ faith.grow to share their parents’ faith.

Since their government was based Since their government was based on on a unity between individuals’ a unity between individuals’ citizenship in the colony and their citizenship in the colony and their covenant with God,covenant with God, this presented this presented a problem. a problem.


Religion”Religion” The leaders of the colony The leaders of the colony

recognized that there was recognized that there was “a “a great death upon religion” great death upon religion” in the in the colony.colony.

One answer was One answer was The Halfway The Halfway Covenant, Covenant, in which infants not in which infants not only of Christians but also of non-only of Christians but also of non-Christians were baptizedChristians were baptized..


Religion”Religion” It was in this context that the It was in this context that the

infamous Salem Witch Trials infamous Salem Witch Trials occurred in 1692.occurred in 1692.

Sixty-nine persons were accused Sixty-nine persons were accused of practicing magic.of practicing magic.

Nineteen persons were hanged; Nineteen persons were hanged; one man was tortured to death one man was tortured to death because he refused to testify because he refused to testify against his wife.against his wife.

The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was The Enlightenment was an an intellectual movementintellectual movement which which emerged in the eighteenth emerged in the eighteenth century and which attempted to century and which attempted to comprehend life by means of comprehend life by means of scientific reasoningscientific reasoning and and natural natural lawlaw..


The religious philosophy that The religious philosophy that accompanied the Enlightenment accompanied the Enlightenment was was DeismDeism..

Deism Deism searched for searched for a universal a universal foundation on which all religions foundation on which all religions could agree.could agree.


Deists believed that Deists believed that a divine a divine being had created the universe being had created the universe and endowed the universe with and endowed the universe with natural laws.natural laws.

This divine being was revealed, This divine being was revealed, however, through however, through natural lawnatural law——not through supernatural not through supernatural revelation.revelation.


In the early 1700s, Deist ideas In the early 1700s, Deist ideas spread throughout spread throughout EuropeEurope and and the American coloniesthe American colonies..

UnitarianismUnitarianism and and Freemasonry Freemasonry were popular forms of Deism.were popular forms of Deism.

The Great AwakeningThe Great Awakening In 1734, flashes of In 1734, flashes of

revival pierced the revival pierced the spiritual darkness spiritual darkness of the American of the American colonies.colonies.

Jonathan Edwards, Jonathan Edwards, a Congregationalist a Congregationalist pastor, said, pastor, said, “The “The Town was never so Town was never so full of Love, nor of full of Love, nor of Joy, nor of Distress, Joy, nor of Distress, as it was then.”as it was then.”

The Great AwakeningThe Great Awakening Key leaders in the Key leaders in the

Great Awakening Great Awakening included …included …

Jonathan EdwardsJonathan Edwards John and Charles John and Charles

WesleyWesley George WhitefieldGeorge Whitefield Revival continued in Revival continued in

the colonies from the colonies from the 1730s to the the 1730s to the 1750s.1750s.

Religion and Religion and the American the American

RevolutionRevolution Many Christians Many Christians opposed the opposed the American Revolution.American Revolution.

John Wesley said … John Wesley said … “I have no “I have no representation in representation in Parliament, I am Parliament, I am taxed, yet I am no taxed, yet I am no slave. Who then is a slave. Who then is a slave? See the slave? See the Negro, fainting under Negro, fainting under the load; this is the load; this is slavery.”slavery.”


RevolutionRevolution A great number of American A great number of American

pastors pastors shifted their preachingshifted their preaching from an emphasis on revival from an emphasis on revival to to an emphasis on revolution.an emphasis on revolution.

Nevertheless, the religion of Nevertheless, the religion of most of the founding fathers was most of the founding fathers was Deism,Deism, not Christianity. not Christianity.


RevolutionRevolution Thomas Jefferson: Thomas Jefferson: – ““The miracles of Jesus represent vulgar The miracles of Jesus represent vulgar

ignorance and fabrications.” ignorance and fabrications.” – ““The prophecies in Revelation are the The prophecies in Revelation are the

ravings of a maniac.” ravings of a maniac.” – ““I trust that there is not a young man I trust that there is not a young man

now living in the United States who will now living in the United States who will not die a Unitarian.”not die a Unitarian.” »F.M. Brodie, F.M. Brodie, Thomas Jefferson, An Intimate Thomas Jefferson, An Intimate

History History (New York: Norton, 1974) 453; A. (New York: Norton, 1974) 453; A. Mapp, Mapp, Thomas Jefferson, Passionate Pilgrim Thomas Jefferson, Passionate Pilgrim (Lanham: Madison, 1991) 311.(Lanham: Madison, 1991) 311.


RevolutionRevolution Benjamin Franklin: Benjamin Franklin: ““I have some doubts as to Jesus’ divinity I have some doubts as to Jesus’ divinity

and think it needless to busy myself with and think it needless to busy myself with it.”it.”

““With the exception of three or four, most With the exception of three or four, most [at the Constitutional Convention] thought [at the Constitutional Convention] thought prayer unnecessary.”prayer unnecessary.”

Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Treaty of Peace and Friendship, John John Adams’ administration: Adams’ administration:

““The Government is not in any sense The Government is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.”founded on the Christian religion.”

» P.F. Boller, P.F. Boller, George Washington and Religion George Washington and Religion (Dallas: (Dallas: SMU, 1963) 16, 87–108, 113, 121–127; Ferrand, SMU, 1963) 16, 87–108, 113, 121–127; Ferrand, Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, 1:452. 1:452.


RevolutionRevolution American Christians and Deists did American Christians and Deists did

agree on at least one issue:agree on at least one issue:Religious Religious beliefs should not be regulated by the beliefs should not be regulated by the government.government.

The Third Amendment to the The Third Amendment to the Constitution was the result: Constitution was the result: Congress Congress shall make no law respecting an shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

In this statement, In this statement, the vision of the the vision of the Anabaptists and of Roger WilliamsAnabaptists and of Roger Williams was was finally realized.finally realized.

Before next session …Before next session …

Study Chapter Eleven of Study Chapter Eleven of Christian History Made EasyChristian History Made Easy..

Read Read This Rebellious HouseThis Rebellious House by by Steven KeillorSteven Keillor..

christian history made easy chapter ten “talkin’ ‘bout some revolutions”

Documents

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