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On the Origin and History of the U.S. Constitution and its 28 Principles of Freedom

This month’s issue: Principle # 5: "The Role of the Creator" in forming a new nation of free people, America.

Question # 1: Was there any doubt in the Founding Father’s (FF’s)minds that "Nature’s God," the Creator, had a hand in creating America?

Answer: None! Absolutely none! To understand the effect the Creator had on the FF’s simply reread the Declaration of Independence (DI). Jefferson stated this principle clearly and unequivocally when he wrote in the first paragraph of the DI "... the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God ..." Are not these clear words? Can anyone doubt Jefferson understood where their principles of freedom were coming from? In the second paragraph he declares this is a self-evident Truth. Not only did Jefferson believe this but the 56 courageous men who signed their life away when they signed the DI believed it too. Jefferson reinforced this belief when he wrote "that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator (Nature’s God) with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness — ..." Powerfully clear words. The FF’s dependency on God was made clear when Jefferson ended the DI with these words "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor." Again, a firm declaration on their need for the divine help of the Creator.

Question # 2: What was the FF’s primary source for the principles of freedom found in the DI and the Constitution?

Answer: The Bible. Biblical references account for 34% of the FF’s documented writings. They were intrigued by James’ New Testament comment relating to "the perfect law of liberty" and were challenged to search the writing of Moses until they found it. And they did find it, and patterned their new government after God’s law of liberty.

Question # 3: Who were other mentors the FF’s drew from, and what did they learn from their other mentors?

Answer: 1. Cicero. By reading Cicero’s books on the Law Jefferson learned about "Nature’s God" which he used in the DI. 2. From John Locke’s famous "Essay Concerning Human Understanding" the FF’s learned "that it defies the most elementary aspects of reason and experience to presuppose that everything in existence developed as a result of fortuitous circumstances (evolution)." They read how Locke "insisted that everyone can know there is a divine Creator. It is simply a matter of thinking about it." Man can say, as did Descartes "With God, each person can say ‘I Am’" ... "Each person knows that he is something. He also knows a something could not be produced by a nothing. Therefore, whatever brought man and everything else into existence also had to something." "It follows," Locke said, "this something which did all of this organization and arranging would have to be all-knowing to the full extent required for such an organization and arrangement. This something would have to be superior to everything which had resulted from this effort." The Anglo Saxon’s word for this superior being was God. The FF’s agreed with Locke. They considered the existence of the Creator as the most fundamental premise underlying ALL self-evident truth, and considered the whole foundation of a just society to be structured on the basis of God’s revealed law, whose laws constituted a moral code clearly distinguishing right from wrong. 3. William Blackstone. From Blackstone’s "Commentaries on the Laws of England," the FF’s read "when the Supreme Being formed the universe" he organized it and then "impressed certain principles upon that matter, from which it can never depart, and without which it would cease to be." Blackstone understood DNA matter before DNA was known to be "the chip" of "Nature." The FF’s continued to read and read "that the will of God which is expressed in the orderly arrangement of the universe is called "the law of nature," (Cicero) and that there are laws for "human" nature just as surely as they exist for the rest of the universe." He then said: "the laws of human nature had been revealed by God, where as the laws of the universe (natural law) must be learned through scientific investigation." Then they read Blackstone’s words which left a powerful impact upon them. Said Blackstone: "Upon these two foundations, the law of nature and the law of revelation, depend all human laws." These writing helped the FF’s form a high regard for the "law" of a social institution. Washington, in his farewell address said "Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice?" Madison is credited with these words: " We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments."

Is there any wonder the FF’s adopted "In God We Trust" as their motto?

To review past issues of Constitutional Observations go to  www.cacp.info . Source: Skousen’s - The 5,000 Year Leap, page 95-101. To obtain "The Making of America," or other constitutional books go to  www.nccs.net  or call 800-388-4512. Become involved in this growing e-grass-roots movement to educate more Americans on the FF’s basic principles of freedom by e-forwarding this e-message to your family & associates. Build an e-base, then add 5 new e-addresses monthly and e-forward. If not you, who? Now, until March 2004. DSC