Establishment of Christianity in North America
2002-11-08
America discovered near the time of Reformation. The 1st English colony in America founded in 1607, Jamestown, VA. 1618-48: 30 years War.
I. The Planting of American Christianity
A. The Anglican Church
Church of England. State Religion of England. Came with first permanent English settlers. Anglican Church became the established church of VA, or state church. Also of other southern colonies: Carolinas and GA, and parts of NY. Not necessarily had strong religious convictions, and did not come for religious freedom. Moral and spiritual laxness. English government never appointed a bishop for America.
B. New England Congregationalists
Comes from 2 different groups: Separatists, established the Plymouth colony, 1620. Intended to land in Northern VA. While on the ship, they drew up a document, an agreement called the Mayflower Compact. Abide by whatever laws that the group would make. Idea of a covenant. Sustained by religious faith. Elder Brewster was their pastor and governor. William Bradford: remember for his book history of the New England Colony. He records the celebration of the 1st Thanksgiving. They were Congregationalist: did not believe in a state church, and each congregation should be independent.
Puritans: They left England during Charles I’s reign. First migration went to Salem, MA in 1628. Small group. Then the big group in 1630, established Mass Bay. 900 of them came in the beginning. Other joined later. They brought their charter with them. A charter would be kept in England. Mass Bay Company took charter with them, so that the English would not have control over them. First governor: John Winthrop. Famous speech, why they were going to America. They went to America to set up a bible state in the new world. They could not do this in England. A Holy Commonwealth. They could be an example to the rest of the world, esp England. Just like Israel going to Canaan. MA was the New Canaan. Many of towns in MA, CT are called Canaan or New Canaan. Winthrop: under government only church members could vote and hold office in Mass Bay colony. To be church member, you had to tell congregation your conversion. Saint aristocracy. Ministers and civil rulers worked together. To keep people uniform religiously. They were Anglicans. Practiced congregational church government. CT colony started in 1636. Leader was clergyman named Thomas Hooker. His congregation moved from MA to CT River Valley. More liberal constitution. Wanted better farm land. 1646, Representatives of 4 Puritan colonies met at Cambridge, MA, Cambridge Synod. They adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith, like in England. 2 years later, Cambridge Platform, 1648. Agreement among themselves, that they would cooperate with one another for fellowship, but each church would be independent.
C. The Baptists
They have came about from state churches. Strong separation of church and state. Baptism by immersion. Roger Williams. Originally Puritan Preacher. Came to Boston MA in 1631. Had differences with Puritans. He believed they should separate from the Anglican Church. He opposed a state church, so no government would have power over one’s religion. They should buy the land from the Indians. Ma government told Williams to leave, 1635. He went to RI and started that colony, Providence Plantation. He did buy the land from the Indians. Also Anne Hutchinson. Strong willed. Had a bible study on a Monday, and they would discuss the preacher’s sermon. They criticized the sermon. Putting them under a covenant of works. She preached the inner-leading of the Holy Spirit. She had received ‘personal revelation’, which she hid. She was banished in 1637. She was called an Antinomian, or against law, or lawless. She and followers settled in Portsmouth, MA. Also separation of church and state. She was killed by Indians a few years later.
Contributions of Roger Williams. Eccentric guy, who was a separatist. He even removed himself from his own church. He and his wife only. He continued to hold for religious freedom of everyone, even if they did not agree. He let them live there. Still sep of church and state.
D. Roman Catholicism in MD
French in Canada and in the MS Valley to New Orleans. This is where RC came from. Catholics dominant in MD. George Calvert, aka Lord Baltimore, was a Catholic convert. King of England was a friend of his. He was given this land to allow for Catholic settlement. His son Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore put this in motion. They needed help to make the land prosperous. There was religious freedom, because they needed to invite others. The Protestants there were called ‘Puritans’ The Catholics were called ‘Papist Priests’
E. The Quakers
They call themselves the Society of Friends. They were a mystical sect founded by George Fox. Was not educated, but devout. They did not believe originally in education, though they are now. They were not received well in England, because there were to pushy, and preached conversion to change. They went to MA and were not received, they were whipped them and sent them away. The next time they came back they were hanged. They settled in NJ in 1660’s and 70’s. William Penn had been converted to Quakerism. Son of Brit admiral. The king of England owed his dead father a debt. He went to Charles II to get a tract of land instead. 16000 pounds was the debt. He got the land now called Pennsylvania. It is named for William Penn’s father who was also called William. He set up Philadelphia. 1681 PA was established. He wanted the land. He wanted to make an investment. He wanted to conduct a ‘holy experiment’. He wanted to see if all kinds of religious groups could live together in peace, since there was a lot enmity between the groups. He publicized his colony in all of Europe. People came from all kinds of religious sects. Mennonites (Anabaptists). Moravians (Count Zinzendorf) settled in Lehigh Valley, and they all had biblical names, they were missionaries to the Delaware Tribe. German Lutherans. Henry Muhlenberg. German reformed, the Church of Brethren. The Seventh Day Baptists. Ephrata Cloisters, Lancaster County. Women and men lived in separate houses, block of wood for pillow. Low doors for humility. Schwenkfelders. These all did live in peace.
They lived there and all of those who believed Jesus as the Son of God, they could take part of government. This eliminated Jews: they could live there, but were not in government. The Quakers dominated the political life there, and held power in DE also.
F. Presbyterians
Mostly Scottish. Molved from Scotland to N. Ireland, and then moved to America. These are the Scot Irish: Ulster Scots. These people were Presbyterian. John Knox had started this before. They moved west into Shenandoah Valley, W. PA, W. NY when they did not get along. Francis Makemie was the first great Scotish leader and preacher. 1st Presbytery in America in Phila. Became a major religious groups.
Anglicans (Episcopal), Congregationalists, Baptists and Presbyterians were the greatest.
G. Methodists
Began in England in the 18th Century, movement in the Anglican Church. Methodist missionaries came to Amer in 1760. The most famous of the circuit writers (circuit of churches) was Francis Asbury, 1771. First Methodist bishop in America.
Anabaptists were the only ones who believed in religious toleration in the beginning.
II. Religion and Education in the Colonies
A. Patterns of Education
Education was a primary concern. People need to be able to read so they can read the bible and train ministers. The bible had first place in the curriculum, classical was second. New England was first. Elementary education established by law. Secondary schools: Latin Grammar Schools, taught in Latin to prepare for College. Puritans of MA had way of teaching children essentials, and theology. The New England Primer, letters go with a rhyme and also bible and spiritual concepts. Hornbooks. Not everybody got such an education. In the south, most education went to wealthy, private tutors. No schools.
B. Early Colleges
Harvard 1636 Cambridge MA, to train ministers, Congregationalist
William and Mary 1693 Williamsburg VA Anglican.
Yale New Haven CT 1701 Congreg.
Princeton CNJ Pres, 1746
Penn nonsectarian 1751 (B Franklin)
Columbia NYC Kings College 1754 Anglican
Brown RI Providence RI College Baptist
Rutgers Queens College NJ Dutch reformed
Dartmouth, Hanover MA Coingregational, Indian missionary school
III. The Great Awakening
A. Revivalism
Revivalism occurs from time to time. Happened in the 1730’s and 40s. People gotten straightened out with God, or came to be believers. There was a need for this. Because some of the colonists were not religious. Some were affected by rationalism of the Enlightenment. Third generation Puritans were respectable but not spiritual people. [First generation wanted to build a holy commonwealth. Some of the first became wealthy. Second generation became wealthy but lost their godliness. The third were not spiritual people at all, not saved. The second generation of Puritans, 1662 they came together to make Half-way Covenant. MA had a covenant with God. How can they keep covenant when the 2nd generation were not professing faith. They were the ‘City upon the Hill’. This covenant allowed the new generations to have half membership so they could vote, but no communion. Allowed 2nd generation’s children to be baptized. This is a retreat from where they were. The third generation could do all things without professing their faith.] Back to needs: There were teachings of Armenianism, which was an emphasis on freewill and human reason and good works. Compromising the message.
B. The beginnings of the Awakening
Theodore Frelinghuysen. Fiery preacher. He go thngs started in the 1720s. Preached the gosel. William Tennent, Presbyterian preacher from Neshaminy, PA. 2 sons: William Tennent Jr. and Gilbert Tennent. These were revivalists. Started the Log College. Jonathan Edwards from Northampton MA. Congregational minister. Spiritual devotion and brilliant mind. Grad of Yale at age 16. 1703-58. When he became a pastor, he inherited a dead church from his grandfather, and there were little believers. He began to preach on God’s sovereignty and justification by faith. Young people reacted.
C. The height of the awakening in the 1740’s
Ministry of George Whitefield (Pronounced whitfield) English evangelist. Sometimes called Methodist, though he was Anglican. He was Calvinistic. Came in 1740, went throughout colonies where he could get an audience. Open air, public buildings, churches. He had Portable field pulpit. Preached in the fields. Excellent preacher and voice. Preached on the New birth mostly. Friend of Benjamin Franklin, but he never came to Christ. Excesses: Some things caused division, and not pleasing to God. July 8, 1741, Jonathan Edward preached Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
Gilbert Tennent 1703-1764. had a sermon, ‘danger of an unconverted ministry’. The pastor might not be saved. Leave the church of the dead preacher.
It was Calvinistic all the way through. This was a work of the Holy Spirit, and they were instruments of the Holy Spirit. Believed that the Spirit was departing and people were not being stirred up. This emphasis was only during this revival.
D. Results of the Awakening
Conversions, maybe about 50,000. Church splits over doctrinal issues. Denominations gained Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists. Humanitarianism. Missionary work among the Indians, e.g. David Brainerd. Orphanage in GA by Whitefield. Anti-slavery movements. Education, new colleges were founded. Emphasized democracy (indirect). This was a democratic movement: equality of people, they all have to come to God the same way. Leveling out effect. Emphasized church and state separation. Religion is a personal thing, not through church organization. Unifying affect on the colonies. First inter-colonial event in history.
IV. The Churches and American Revolution 1775-1781
A. The churches and the war
A war of independence. The Anglicans were divided in their loyalties. Methodists were divided, many neutral. Wesley opposed it. Pacifists: no fighting, Quakers, Mennonites, Moravians. Some Quakers were fighting Quakers, but they were small group. Quakers: tended to favor the Brits. Moravians favored the Patriots. Mennonites were truly neutral. Many of them withdrew to Ontario. In favor of the revolution: Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians. This is logical because these 3 groups emphasized covenants. The King of England had broken a covenant with God. New covenant and government called. Broke social contract (Locke). ‘Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God’.
B. The impact of independence on religion.
New emphasis on religious freedom and separation of church and state on a national level. All states with state churches eventually disestablished them. The last one was MA in 1833 with Congregational churches. See also first amendment. Various denominations set up national organizations and had their own constitutions. Anglican Church had to change its name to Protestant Episcopal Church.