The Founders’ Faith

1. The Founders’ Faith Hebrews 12.2

2. The Founders’ Faith • Colonial America • America has a longer history than most people realize. • The earliest North American colonies were established around 1580. • The Roanoke colony is perhaps the most famous. • People don’t realize Roanoke succeeded for 20 years.

3. The Founders’ Faith • Roanoke was a multi-purpose colony funded by Walter Raleigh. • It was established to challenge Spain. • It was economic • And it was intended to bring the Gospel to the Natives. • The Charter.

4. The Founders’ Faith • The Religious colonies • Maryland. A Catholic colony founded by a man (Lord Baltimore) Sir George Calvert (and then his son). • Calvert helped James with the Bible. • Maryland a religious haven. It was a Proprietorship colony. • Baltimore wanted a colony of religious refuge for Catholics, then it grew.

5. The Founders’ Faith • The Religious colonies • Rhode Island. Founded specifically for religious freedom and separation of Church and state • Roger Williams left Massachusetts Bay because of his beliefs. • Joined by Anne Hutchinson. • Colonial Charter in effect until 1843 • full liberty in religious concernments and that true piety rightly grounded upon gospel principles, will give the best and greatest security to sovereignty, and will lay in the hearts of men the strongest obligations to true loyalty. The Charter

6. The Founders’ Faith • The Religious Colonies • Massachusetts. Well known. Plymouth. • Connecticut colony Charter: “Our said People Inhabitants there, may be so religiously, peaceably and civilly governed, as their good Life and orderly Conversation may win and invite the Natives of the Country to the Knowledge and Obedience of the only true GOD, and He Saviour of Mankind, and the Christian Faith, which in Our Royal Intentions, and the adventurers free Possession, is the only and principal End of this Plantation. . .” • Thomas Hooker founded Conn, he was a Puritan minister.

7. The Founders’ Faith • The Economic Colonies • Virginia was originally a colony for • Economic development • Open markets • Trade with native population • Jamestown started slowly because it was seen as a temporary port, not a family colony.

8. The Founders’ Faith • The Economic Colonies • Virginia eventually grew a religious heritage. • Jefferson wrote government imposing religion might “beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion.”

9. The Founders’ Faith • The Economic Colonies • North and South Carolina • Carved out of Virginia. • Original charter provided funds to build churches. • No one in NC who did not profess God (Charter of 1669). • Charter also says non-believers should be welcomed and persuaded. • This was a statement that did not last long.

10. The Founders’ Faith • The colonies established for defense. • Georgia, established by James Oglethorpe. To be economic and defensive, but Oglethorpe a believer. • North and South Carolina. Protect against Indians and Spanish. Convert the natives.

11. The Founders’ Faith • Religion in the Colonies. • Southern colonies were generally good Anglicans. • North were Congregationalists (Methodist related), Presbyterians, Lutherans. • Of course the Puritans and Pilgrims. Different groups. • Quakers came to Pennsylvania early.