Although some seventeenth and eighteenth century
continued to believe in the older idea of "the divine right
of kings," supporters of natural law believed that according
to "Divine Law" power rested in the hands of the people
rather than their monarchs. Since Enlightenment thinkers believed
in a God who was the embodiment of reason and goodness, they assumed
that as the "author of nature" he created an order designed
to promote the welfare of his creatures. Locke writes in chapter
five of his Second Treatise:
Whether we consider natural reason, which tells us, that men,
being
once born, have a right to their preservation, and consequently
to meat and drink, and such other things as nature affords for
their subsistence: or
revelation, which gives us an account of those grants God made
of the world to Adam, and to Noah, and his sons, it is very
clear, that God, as king David says, Psal. cxv. 16. has given
the earth to the children of men; given it to mankind in common.
God, who hath given the world to men in common, hath also given
them reason to make use of it to the best advantage of life,
and
convenience. The earth, and all that is therein, is given to
men for the
support and comfort of their being.
In other words, both reason and Biblical revelation makes it
clear that God has given people the gift of life, the reason to
make use of it, and the right to enjoy their possession of the
earth. When a ruling power usurps these rights, human beings have
not only the right but perhaps even the responsibility to refuse
to submit to his/her/its authority. The
committee appointed to design America's first Great Seal --
Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams -- seem to have shared that way
of thinking. They proposed that the seal should bear the motto:
"Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God."
For example, there are several cases in which we see
that the patriots sometimes included arguments that were primarily
designed to appeal to the ideals of their audience rather than
necessarily conveying their personal views. In several cases,
for example, American radicals seem to have used appeals to traditional
religious attitudes for the very practical purpose of winning
the support of the large body of people who
For example, Jefferson recalls in his autobiography responded
strongly to religious . audience who into their argumFRANKLIN
Franklin and Jefferson were among the most theologically liberal
of the Founders, yet they used biblical imagery for this important
task.
We were under conviction of the necessity of arousing our people
from the lethargy into which they had fallen as to passing events;
and thought that the appointment of a day of general fasting &
prayer would be most likely to call up & alarm their attention.
No example of such a solemnity had existed since the days of our
distresses in the war of 55. since which a new generation had
grown up. With the help therefore of Rushworth, whom we rummaged
over for the revolutionary precedents & forms of the Puritans
of that day, preserved by him, we cooked up a resolution, somewhat
modernizing their phrases, for appointing the 1st day of June,
on which the Port bill was to commence, for a day of fasting,
humiliation & prayer, to implore heaven to avert from us the
evils of civil war, to inspire us with firmness in support of
our rights, and to turn the hearts of the King & parliament
to moderation & justice. To give greater emphasis to our proposition,
we agreed to wait the next morning on Mr. Nicholas, whose grave
& religious character was more in unison with the tone of
our resolution and to solicit him to move it. http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/tj3/writings/bio/jefbio02.htm
For further discussion of the role played in the revolution by
religion and religious leaders , see "Religion
and the Founding of the American Republic: III. Religion and the
American Revolution," which is part of an excellent exhibition
at the Library of Congress web site.
If you see any of the following references or terms in a text
from the revolutionary era, consider whether the author is using
this argument: God, divine, divine rights, revelation, Bible,
author of nature, God of nature, nature's God.
