Roger Anghis
America has come upon some tough times in the last few months but we must never forget that this nation was founded by men and women who believed in and depended on the Hand of God to help them through every hard time we faced.
When the pilgrims were under great persecution in Europe and Great Britain God found a way to get them out from under that persecution. Did they face dangers? Yes, they did. But they took the risk of months at sea and not knowing what they would face in the New World, put their faith in God, and stepped forth into the unknown. God got them here safely and protected them and they began to prosper them. When they got here, they dedicated the New World to God. I know that a lot of people would refute that, but written history proves this is what they did. The made what is referred to as the Mayflower Compact. It states:
IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. IN WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini; 1620.
With this vow to God, they began to settle the New World. They faced a lot of challenges and hardships. Many people perished but they kept their faith in God and kept moving forward never forgetting their purpose, advancing the cause of Christ. One of the Charters that were issued by King George for a settlement was one for Maryland. The Charter reads Our well-beloved and right trusty subject Coecilius Calvert, Baron of Baltimore . . . being animated with a laudable, and pius Zeal for extending the Christian religion . . . hath humbly besought Leave of Us that he may transport . . . a numerous Colony of the English Nation, to a certain Region . . . having no Knowledge of the Divine Being.[1] It wasn’t just the Charter for the Maryland colony that indicated that their purpose was for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many have stated that it was for economic gain that America began to be populated and there is a portion of truth about that because of the vast untapped resources that were available in America, but when you study the charters for each settlement and the Constitutions of the colonies, there is one glaring truth that the revisionist historians refuse to acknowledge and that is their number one purpose for coming to America was to ‘propagate the Christian religion’. They wanted the freedom to worship how they believed they were supposed to and to spread the gospel to the inhabitants of the new land.[2] Again, there were challenges, but the people prospered because they put their faith in God and gave Him the authority to move on their behalf. Most Christians are not aware that we are the ones with the authority on this planet and we have to speak forth what we want and when we ask God to protect, prosper, or heal us that gives Him the authority to move on our behalf.
It was when the Founders and their ancestors petitioned God for help for whatever they needed is when He came in and answered that prayer. During the framing of the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin called for pray when they had come to a standstill with the articles of the Constitution: When the Constitutional Convention was in process there had been about four to five weeks where no progress was being made in the negotiations of how the States would be represented in the new government. At this time Benjamin Franklin stepped in and made some comments. Following is an excerpt from those comments. Remember that at this time Franklin was eighty-one years old and Governor of Pennsylvania as well as a very respected man.
“In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending providence in our favor.
“To that kind providence, we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And now have we forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance?
“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. And that if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?
“We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that “except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. 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.
“I therefore beg leave to move – that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.”[3] Franklin knew that God was the one that needed to be in charge of those proceedings and they heeded his advice and things began to happen.
© 2020 Roger Anghis – All Rights Reserved
E-Mail Roger Anghis: roger@buildingthetruth.org
Foot Notes
- America’s God and Country, William Federer (Amerisearch, Inc., St. Louis, MO) p.35
- Defining America’s Exceptionalism, Roger Anghis (Westbow Press, Bloomington, IN) p.9
- Defining America’s Exceptionalism, Roger Anghis (Westbow Press, Bloomington, IN) p 103-104
