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ReligionComestotheNewWorld
DoesthismeantheUSAwasfoundedonReligiousBeliefs?
Introduction
Pilgrims?Puritans?Religion?TheConstitution?So,justhowdidthisreligionthinggetinto
theConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesanyway?Nowwaitjustaminute,pilgrim!JohnWayne
usedthewordtosummarizethesocialknowledgeofanindividualwiththeimplicationsaid
individualwasastrangertothewaysoftheWaynesters,oratleastthatishowHollywood
wouldhavesomebelieve.
LetstakeaquicklookattheMayflowerCompactitself,translatedfromOldeEnglishto
modernspellingandgrammar,thenlookatsomeofthereasonswhythisstoryissovery
importanttoalltheChristianworld!
TheMayflowerCompact!
InAugust1620,agroupofabout40BrownistswhocalledthemselvesSaintsjoineda
muchlargergroupof(comparatively)secularcolonistswhomtheBrownistscalled
Strangers,andsetsailfromEnglandontwomerchantships:theMayflowerandthe
Speedwell.
BecauseofthedelaycausedbytheleakySpeedwell,theMayflowerhadtocrossthe
Atlanticattheheightofstormseason.Asaresult,thejourneywashorriblyunpleasantwith
thewavesweresoroughthatoneStrangerwassweptoverboardanddrowned.(Itwas
thejusthandofGoduponhim,Bradfordwrotelater,fortheyoungsailorhadbeena
proudandveryprofaneyongeman.)
Aftertwomiserablemonthsatsea,theshipfinallyreachedtheNewWorld.
There,theMayflowerspassengersfoundanabandonedIndianvillageandnotmuchelse.
Theyalsofoundthattheywereinthewrongplace:CapeCodwaslocatedat42degrees
northlatitude,wellnorthoftheVirginiaCompanysterritory.
Technically,theMayflowercolonistshadnorighttobethereatall.Inordertoestablish
themselvesasalegitimatecolonyPlymouth,namedaftertheEnglishportfromwhich
theyhaddepartedunderthesedubiouscircumstances,41oftheSaintsandStrangers
draftedandsignedadocumenttheycalledtheMayflowerCompact.
ThisCompactpromisedtocreateaCivilBodyPolitickgovernedbyelectedofficialsand
justandequallaws.ItalsosworeallegiancetotheEnglishking.
In1802,JohnQuincyAdamsdescribedtheagreementastheonlyinstanceinhuman
historyofthatpositive,original,socialcompactanditispopularlybelievedtohave
influencedtheDeclarationofIndependenceandtheU.S.Constitution.
TheMayflowerCompact:(translatedfromOldeEnglishtomoderntext)
ThetextoftheMayflowerCompact:
InthenameofGod,Amen.Wewhosenamesareunderwritten,theloyalsubjectsofour
dreadSovereignLordKingJames,bytheGraceofGodofGreatBritain,France,andIreland
King,DefenderoftheFaith,etc.
HavingundertakenfortheGloryofGodandadvancementoftheChristianFaithand
HonourofourKingandCountry,aVoyagetoplanttheFirstColonyintheNorthernPartsof
Virginia,dobythesepresentssolemnlyandmutuallyinthepresenceofGodandoneof
another,CovenantandCombineourselvestogetherinaCivilBodyPolitic,forourbetter
orderingandpreservationandfurtheranceoftheendsaforesaid;andbyvirtuehereofto
enact,constituteandframesuchjustandequalLaws,Ordinances,Acts,Constitutionsand
Officesfromtimetotime,asshallbethoughtmostmeetandconvenientforthegeneral
goodoftheColony,untowhichwepromiseallduesubmissionandobedience.Inwitness
whereofwehavehereundersubscribedournamesatCapeCod,the11thofNovember,in
theyearofthereignofourSovereignLordKingJames,ofEngland,FranceandIrelandthe
eighteenth,andofScotlandthefifty-fourth.AnnoDomini1620.
HowtheUnitedStatesConstitutionlooksatReligion:
TheAnti-EstablishmentClause,alsosometimesconfusinglylabelledtheEstablishment
ClauseortheReligionClause,isthefirstofseveralpronouncementsintheFirst
AmendmenttotheUnitedStatesConstitution,stating,
Congressshallmakenolawrespectinganestablishmentofreligion,orprohibitingthefree
exercisethereof...
TheAnti-EstablishmentClausewasderivedfromanumberofprecursors,includingthe
ConstitutionsofClarendon,the1689BillofRights,thePennsylvaniaandNewJersey
colonialconstitutions.AninitialdraftbyJohnDickinsonwaspreparedinconjunctionwith
hisdraftingtheArticlesofConfederation.In1789,then-congressmanJamesMadison
preparedanotherdraftwhich,followingdiscussionanddebateintheFirstCongress,would
becomeincorporatedintotheFirstAmendmentoftheBillofRights.Thesecondhalfofthe
Anti-EstablishmentClauseincludestheFreeExerciseClause,whichallowsindividual
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citizensfreedomfromgovernmentalinterferenceinbothprivateandpublicreligiousaffairs
thatdonotinfringetherightsofothers.
TheAnti-EstablishmentClauseisalimitationplacedupontheUnitedStatesCongress
preventingitfrompassinglegislationrespectinganestablishmentofreligion.Thesecond
halfoftheAnti-EstablishmentClauseinherentlyprohibitsthegovernmentfrompreferring
anyonereligionoveranother.WhiletheAnti-EstablishmentClausedoesprohibitCongress
frompreferringorelevatingonereligionoveranother,itdoesnotprohibitthe
government'sentryintothereligiousdomaintomakeaccommodationsforreligious
observancesandpracticesinordertoachievethepurposesoftheFreeExerciseClause.
Right.SothosesixteenwordsaswrittenandratifiedbytheContinentalCongressdelivered
thehardshipofreligiouspracticefromthehandsoftheKing,oranyoneattemptingtoact
asiftheywerethekingandplacedthisfreedomdirectlyintothehandsofWeThePeople!
Hereswhy.Shortversion:
HenrytheVII
ReligioninEngland,atleastformalreligionwilldatebacktothetimeoftheRoman
Occupation,whichoccurredaround200-300aftertheDeathofJesus.
RomanCatholicismbecamethereligionofthelandinEngland.Therewerepagan
religionsorbeliefssuchasCelticpolytheism,Nordicpaganism,Romanpolytheismand
Druidism,whichisstillpracticedtodaymoreasacultistactivityratherthanareligion.
Well,whyarewetalkingaboutHenry?
HenryVIII,amanofmanywives,wishedtodivorceCatherineofAragon,hisfirstwife
howeversincethemarriagewasblessedinaCatholicChurch,Henryneededthe
permissionofTheChurchtobegrantedadivorce.
TheChurchwouldnotsubmittoHenryandhisrequest,soHenryabolishedandbanned
theCatholicChurch.Thedissolutionofthemonasteriesinthelate1530swasoneofthe
mostrevolutionaryeventsinEnglishhistory.
Therewerenearly900religioushousesinEngland,around260formonks,300forregular
canons,142nunneriesand183friaries;some12,000peopleintotal,4,000monks,3,000
canons,3,000friarsand2,000nuns.Oneadultmaninfiftywasinreligiousorders
TheChurchofEngland
HenrykeptvirtuallyalloftheRitesandRitualsoftheCatholicChurchashedidhavea
proclivityformaintainingsomedistancefromProtestantOrthodoxy.Hisson,once
crowned,didattempttochangethisdrastically,howeverhislifeendedbeforehecould
visualizethetransformation.
Ironically,theChurchofEnglandmaintainsitisaCatholicandReformedchurchandthe
sittingMonarchisbylaw,theSupremeLeaderoftheChurchofEngland.
AfterEdward,Henryssondied,EnglandsnewMonarch,QueenMarytheFirstduringher
co-reignwithherhusband,KingPhilipofSpain,manyleadersandcommonpeoplewere
burntfortheirrefusaltorecantoftheirreformedfaith.TheseareknownastheMarian
martyrsandthepersecutionledtohernicknameof"BloodyMary".
Marylasted5yearsdyingin1558.Around60yearsbeforetheMayflowersailed.
UnderQueenElizabethI,knownastheElizabethanSettlement,developedtheviamedia
(middleway)characteroftheChurchofEngland,achurchmoderatelyReformedin
doctrine,asexpressedintheThirty-NineArticles,butalsoemphasisingcontinuitywiththe
CatholicandApostolictraditionsoftheChurchFathers.
Essentially,aProtestantChurchwithaCatholicLiturgy,itwasalsoanestablishedchurch
(constitutionallyestablishedbythestatewiththeheadofstateasitssupremegovernor).
Theexactnatureoftherelationshipbetweenchurchandstatewouldbeasourceof
continuedfrictionintothenextcentury.
Brownists,PuritansandPilgrims
Upnext,inthesagaofEnglandsgotreligion,KingJamesIandVIofScotlandputtogethera
versionoftheBiblemostallofaProtestantaffiliationusetothisday,thisbeingtheKing
JamesVersionoftheGreatBible.
ThereweremanyvariationsusedinEnglandasEnglandwassplitbetweensupportersof
thepopulistGenevaBible,theChurchofEnglandsBishopsBible:aweighty,expensiveand
thereforelesspopularreworkingoftheGreatBible:andtheDouay-RheimsNewTestament
of1582,whichwasproducedbyexiledRomanCatholicsaspartofaCounterReformation.
ThefoundingofChristianityinEngland(Britain)issaidtodatebacktoJosephof
Arimathea,whoaccordingtoAnglicanlegendandiscelebratedinGlastonburyAbbey.
AnglicanChristianityisaliveandwellinmanypartsoftheworld.
Brownists
NamedforRobertBrown,whodislikedtheideatheState,inthiscase,England,shouldbe
inorhavecontroloverReligiouspracticesofhercitizenry.
ThisdenominationdidnotdifferinpointofdoctrinefromthechurchofEngland,orfrom
theotherpuritans;buttheyapprehendedthat,accordingtoscripture,everychurchought
tobeconfinedwithinthelimitsofasinglecongregation,andhavethecompletepowerof
jurisdictionoveritsmembers,tobeexercisedbytheelderswithinitself,withoutbeing
subjecttotheauthorityofbishops,synods,presbyteries,oranyecclesiasticalassembly,
composedofthedeputiesfromdifferentchurches.
He,alongwithmanyotherswereexiledfromEnglandtoHollandwherefreepracticeof
Religionwastolerated.WhilesomescholarlyarticleswilllumpBrownists,Puritansand
Pilgrimstogether,itiswisetokeepacleardistinctionbetweenthemastheirplightand
suffrageappliestotheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesandtheexceptionclause.
MonarchsandReligiondonotmix.
BrownistswerepartofanEnglishmovementknownasseparatistsanddissenters,those
seekingrelieffromvariousformsofpersecutionfornotaligningandpayinghomagewith
theChurchofEngland.
RobertBrownewasastudentwhobecameanAnglicanpriestlateinlife.AtCambridge
University,hewasinfluencedbyPuritantheologians,includingThomasCartwright
(1535-1603).
BrownebecameaLectureratStMary'sChurch,Islingtonwherehisdissidentpreaching
againstthedoctrinesanddisciplinesoftheChurchofEnglandbegantoattractattention.
During1578,BrownereturnedtoCambridgeUniversityandcameundertheinfluenceof
RichardGreenham,puritanrectorofDryDrayton.HeencouragedBrownetocompletehis
ordinationandserveataparishchurch.BrownewasofferedalecturerpositionatSt
Bene't'sChurch,CambridgepossiblythroughGreenham,buthistenuretherewasshort.
BrownecametorejectthepuritanviewofreformfromwithintheChurch,andstartedto
lookoutsidetheestablishedChurch.
HismostimportantworkswerepublishedatMiddelburgin1582:ATreatiseofReformation
withoutTaryingforAnie,inwhichheassertedtherightofthechurchtoeffectnecessary
reformswithouttheauthorisationofthecivilmagistrate;andABookewhichsheweththelife
andmannersofallTrueChristians,whichsetoutthetheoryofCongregational
independence.TwomenwerehangedatBuryStEdmundsin1583forcirculatingthem.
BrownewasonlyanactiveSeparatistfrom1579-1585.HereturnedtoEnglandandtothe
ChurchofEngland,beingemployedasaschoolmasterand,after1591,aChurchofEngland
parishpriest.Hewasmuchengagedincontroversywithsomeofthosewhoheldhisearlier
separatistpositionandwhonowlookeduponhimasarenegade.
TheBrownists,mostofwhomresidedinHollandintheearly1600scomprisedthemajority
ofpassengersaboardtheMayflower.
Puritans
ThismovementsoughttopurifytheChurchofEnglandofitscorrupthumandoctrineand
practices;thepeopleinthemovementwereknownasPuritans.
SomeSeparatistswerethosePuritanswhonolongeracceptedtheChurchofEnglandasa
truechurch,refusedtoworkwithinthestructuretoaffectchanges,andseparated
themselvestoformatruechurchbasedsolelyonBiblicalprecedent.
PuritansrejectedChristmas,EasterandthevariousSaint'sDaysbecausetheyhadno
scripturaljustification,andintheirworshipservices,theyrejectedhymns,therecitationsof
theLord'sPrayerandcreedsforthesamereason.
SeparatistsbelievedthattheworshipofGodmustprogressfromtheindividualdirectlyto
God,andthatsetforms,liketheChurchofEngland'sBookofCommonPrayer,interfered
withthatprogressionbydirectingone'sthoughtsdowntothebookandinwardtoone's
self.
TheonlyexceptionswerethePsalmsandtheLord'sSupper,bothofwhichhadscriptural
basis,andpossiblythecovenantbywhichindividualsjoinedthecongregation.
AsPastorRobinsonexpressedit,eventwoorthreegatheredinthenameofChristbya
covenant[and]madetowalkinallthewaysofGodknownuntothemisachurch.
Pilgrims
Englishpeoplewhosoughttoescapethereligiouscontroversiesandeconomicproblemsof
theirtimebyemigratingtoAmerica.
ManyofthePilgrimsweremembersofaPuritansectknownastheSeparatists.They
believedthatmembershipintheChurchofEnglandviolatedthebiblicalpreceptsfortrue
Christians,andtheyhadtobreakawayandformindependentcongregationsthatadhered
morestrictlytodivinerequirements.
ApassagefromtheSecondEpistleofPaultotheCorinthiansgaveurgencytotheiractions.
TheGenevatranslationforSecondCorinthians6:16-18reads:
(16)AndwhatagrementhathetheTempleofGodwithidoles?foryearetheTempleoftheliving
God:asGodhathesaid,Iwildwellamongthem,andwalkethere;andIwilbetheirGod,and
shalbemypeople.(17)Whereforecomeoutfromamongthem,andseparateyourselves,faith
theLord:andtouchenoneuncleanething,&Iwilreceiveyou.(18)AndIwilbeaFatheruntoyou,
andyeshalbemysonnesanddaughters,saiththeLordalmightie.
AtatimewhenChurchandStatewereone,suchanactwastreasonousandsome
membersoftheSeparatistMovementfledtheirmothercountry.
OtherPilgrimsremainedloyaltothenationalChurchbutcamebecauseofeconomic
opportunityandasympathywithPuritanism.Theyallsharedaferventandpervasive
Protestantfaiththattouchedallareasoftheirlives.
AsEnglishpeople,thePilgrimsalsosharedavitalsecularculturebothlearnedand
traditional.Theylivedinatimethatacceptedfairiesandwitches,astrologicalinfluences,
seasonalfestivalsandfolkloreasrealpartsoftheirlives.
Theylookedattheworldtheylivedinnotaswedotoday-throughtheeyesofquantum
physicsandpsychology-butthroughthefolkloreofthecountrysideandacademic
traditionsthatstretchedbacktoantiquity.
TheywereboththoroughProtestantsoftherecentReformationandtheinheritorsofthe
MedievalworldviewthatinfusedtheimaginationsofWilliamShakespeareandBenJonson.
TheMayflowerPassengers
In1608,acongregationofdisgruntledEnglishProtestantsfromthevillageofScrooby,
Nottinghamshire,leftEnglandandmovedtoLeyden,atowninHolland.TheseSeparatists,
knownasBrownists,didnotwanttopledgeallegiancetotheChurchofEngland,which
theybelievedwasnearlyascorruptandidolatrousastheCatholicChurchithadreplaced,
anylonger.
(TheywerenotthesameasthePuritans,whohadmanyofthesameobjectionstothe
Englishchurchbutwantedtoreformitfromwithin.)TheBrownistshopedthatinHolland,
theywouldbefreetoworshipastheyliked.
InLondon,theCompanyofMerchantAdventurersofLondonputtogetherasaguildof
merchantseamen,assembledpeoplewillingtotravelandinhabitcoloniesintheNew
World.ThisprovidedanopportunityformanyBrownistsexiledtoZeeland,Hollandbythe
KingsrulesonreligiontomakeafreshstartintheNewWorld.Somethingwedonothave
theopportunitytodointoday'scrowdedworld.
TheBrownistswhofoundedthePlymouthColonyreferredtothemselvesasSaints,not
Pilgrims.TheuseofthewordPilgrimtodescribethisgroupdidnotbecomecommon
untilthecolonysbicentennial.Thatwouldbearound1820.
First,theBrownistsreturnedtoLondontogetorganized.Aprominentmerchantagreedto
advancethemoneyfortheirjourney.TheVirginiaCompanygavethempermissionto
establishasettlement,orplantation,ontheEastCoastbetween38and41degreesnorth
latitude(roughlybetweentheChesapeakeBayandthemouthoftheHudsonRiver).
AndtheKingofEnglandgavethempermissiontoleavetheChurchofEngland,provided
theycarriedthemselvespeaceably.
SincetheMayflowerdidntmakeittothecorrectlatitude,thecompactwasdraftedasa
measureofgoodfaithtoGodandCountry.Asaresultofnotmakingtheagreedupon
destination,thePilgrimsalsoestablishedwhatisnowknownasthePlymouthcolonies.
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