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#7 In This Issue:Articles Quote Was America founded as a Christian nation? The short answer is no, but it was founded on Christian principals, and the vast majority of our Founding Fathers were active mainline Christians. This issue begins a new focus in our biographies section on our Founding Fathers. I greatly take exception to the bland assertion that our Founding Fathers were atheists or Deists, and to refute that I want to show exactly what they believed. The first that I have chosen is Benjamin Rush. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. Rush was considered in his time one of America's notable founders. John Adams said of him, "I no of no character, living or dead, who has done more real good in America." Other additions
to our website this month include an interesting essay on the Washington
Monument and the godly perspective behind its construction. I've also
added some new Patriotic Points. Happy Independence Day! We would love to hear any questions, comments, or ideas for future articles, just email us at info@faithofourfathers.org Chris
Van Buskirk In many ways, Benjamin Rush was a man before his time. He was an outspoken opponent of slavery, a vocal proponent of equal education for women, a supporter of the rights of the mentally challenged, and a generous provider of health care to the indigent in Philadelphia. Known as "the Father of American Psychiatry," Rush was one of the most prominent physicians and authors of his day. He was in constant attention to the wounded in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, the Brandywine, Germantown, and in the sickness at Valley Forge. He signed the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Rush was a founder of the Philadelphia Bible Society, a principal promoter of the American Sunday School Union and extensively advocated the use of the Bible as a textbook in public schools. ""…let us not be wiser than our maker," he wrote in 1798. "If moral precepts alone could have reformed mankind, the mission of the Son of God into all the world would have been unnecessary." He wrote a pamphlet giving twelve reasons why the Bible needs to be the central textbook is schools. "I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little time to prevent them," he wrote. "We neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government; that is, the universal education of our youth in the principals of Christianity by means of the Bible." It was not only
by words, but in deeds, that he expressed his reverence for God. He
made a regular practice to close the day by reading to his collected
family a chapter in the Bible, and afterwards by prayer, devoutly acknowledging
God's goodness for favors received, and humbly imploring his continued
protection and blessing. Dr. Benjamin Rush was at the height of his
fame in 1813 when he died in Philadelphia at the age of sixty-eight.
For more information, read our biography
of Benjamin Rush. On the aluminum cap atop the Washington Monument in Washington DC are two words: Laus Deo. Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words, impossible to see by the millions of tourists who visit the monument, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over our nation's capital. Four syllables, seven letters very simply ... "Praise be to God!" Within the monument
itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses
at the landings the memorial stones share a message. On the 12th Landing
is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore; on the 20th is a memorial
presented by some Chinese Christians; on the 24th a presentation made
by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs
10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God! Read more about
this monument to George Washington in the Heritage section of our website. In the summer of 1776, while the rest of the colonies were celebrating the Declaration of Independence, George Washington was in New York City fighting to make the words of the document a reality. Faced with nearly insurmountable odds, Washington's found
himself between the proverbial rock and a hard place. The cause, he
felt, demanded that he defend the city, but his resources were not capable
of the task. To fight meant certain defeat, but surrender or retreat
was out of the question. The outcome was
predictable; Howe surprised the American troops, attacking behind their
wall of fortified positions, hitting them from the side on the northern
slope of the Brooklyn Heights. As the British advanced, they would lay
down firing column after firing column until in bayonet range at which
point they rushed the American lines in a form of organized hand to
hand combat. The American's simply couldn't combat this style of open
warfare. But in the wake
of his victory, and perhaps with the memory of the massacre at Bunker
Hill, Howe hesitates to enter the lion's den of Brooklyn Heights. Hoping
to push closer and closer to the American troops holed up in Brooklyn
Heights, Howe steadily pushed forward. Washington finally decided to
withdraw from Brooklyn. And yet in doing so, he knows that if the British
discovered his retreat across the East River, half his Army and most
of its command would to be caught in a massacre of British fire and
bayonets. Washington's Army
in the moment of withdrawal was in deadly peril. But he was inspired
with a deadly plan. John Glover was a leader of a brigade called the
Marbleheaders. They were seamen by trade, and along with the Massachusetts
27th regiment lead by Israel Hutchinson they rowed the Continental Army
and their equipment, in complete silence across the East River. Throughout the night
of August 29, 1776, they rowed, making the dangerous two mile trip to
ferry men, supplies, cannons, carts and horses to the safety of Manhattan.
Expertly and silently they passed under the guns of the British fleet,
knowing that at any moment those guns could blast them from the water.
But as the next
day dawned the retreat was far from complete. At least three hours more
were needed, yet the daylight would surely reveal the maneuver to the
British. It was at that moment that God chose to intervene on the side
of the Continental Army. Major Tallmadge, of the 2d light dragoons records
what happened next: "At this time, a very dense fog began to
rise out of the ground and off the river, and it seemed to settle in
a peculiar manner over both encampments. I recollect this providential
very well, so very dense was the atmosphere that I could scarcely discern
a man at six-yard distance." Against all odds
the fog remained until the last boat, with General Washington in it,
left the shore. As the fog lifted, the British were astonished to find
the American trenches empty. When they arrived on Brooklyn Heights that
morning they found nothing more than some rusted buckets. Coincidence? Maybe.
But George Washington knew what caused the fog. "No people can
be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand that conducts the
affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step
by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation
seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency." "Our creator is the same and never changes despite the names given Him by people here and in all parts of the world. Even if we gave Him no name at all, He would still be there, within us, waiting to give us good on this earth." - George Washington Carver ABOUT Faith Of Our Fathers Faith Of Our Fathers is dedicated to spreading revival in America by teaching Americans the true and inspiring story of their godly heritage. For more information, visit our website at faithofourfathers.org
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