Restore Christian America

[Soldier4Christ]

PREAMBLES TO STATE CONSTITUTIONS BASED ON THE BIBLE'S INFLUENCE

In prayer, we encourage you to declare these over the your states and the states of this union.

ALABAMA 1901: We, the people of the State of Alabama, in order to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution and form of government for the State of Alabama. ARIZONA 1912: We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution. ARKANSAS 1874 : We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own forms of government, for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings and secure the same to ourselves and posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution. CALIFORNIA 1879: We, the people of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings, do establish this Constitution. COLORADO 1876: We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, in order to form a more independent and perfect government; establish justice; insure tranquility; provide for the common defense; promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity; do ordain and establish this Constitution for the "State of Colorado." CONNECTICUT 1818: The people of Connecticut acknowledging with gratitude, the good providence of God, in having permitted them to enjoy a free government, do, in order more effectual to define, secure, and perpetuate the liberties, rights and privileges which they have derived from their ancestors, hereby, after a careful consideration and revision, ordain and establish the following Constitution and form of civil government. DELAWARE 1897: Through Divine goodness, all men have by nature the rights of worshiping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences, of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring and protecting reputation and property, and in general of obtaining objects suitable to their condition, without injury by one to another; and as these rights are essential to their welfare, for the due exercise thereof, power is inherent in them; and therefore all just authority in the institutions of political society is derived from the people, and established with their consent, to advance their happiness; and they may for this end, as circumstances require, from time to time after their Constitution of governments. FLORIDA 1887: We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, in order to secure its blessings and to form a more perfect government, insuring domestic tranquility, maintaining public order, and guaranteeing equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this Constitution. GEORGIA 1887: To perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen, and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty, we, the people of Georgia, relying upon the protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution. IDAHO 1890: We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution. ILLINOIS 1870: We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations in order to form a more perfect government, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of Illinois. INDIANA 1851: To the end that justice be established, public order maintained, and liberty perpetuated: We, the people of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our own form of government, do ordain this Constitution. IOWA 1857: We, the people of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of those blessings, do ordain and establish a free and independent government, by the name of the State of Iowa, the boundaries whereof shall be as follows: KANSAS 1863: We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges, in order to insure the full enjoyment of our rights as American citizens, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the State of Kansas, with the following boundaries, to wit: KENTUCKY 1891: We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy, and invoking the continuance of these blessings, do ordain and establish this Constitution. LOUISIANA 1974:  We, the people of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political, economic, and religious liberties we enjoy, and desiring to protect individual rights to life, liberty, and property; afford opportunity for the fullest development of the individual; assure equality of rights; promote the health, safety, education, and welfare of the people; maintain a representative and orderly government; ensure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense; and secure the blessings of freedom and justice to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution. MAINE 1820 and 1876: We, the people of Maine, in order to establish justice, insure tranquility, provide for our mutual defense, promote our common welfare, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of liberty, acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity, so favorable to the design; and imploring His aid and direction in its accomplishment, do agree to form ourselves into a free and independent State, by the style and title of the State of Maine, and do ordain and establish the following Constitution for the government of the same. MARYLAND 1867: We, the people of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty, and taking into our serious consideration best means of establishing a good Constitution in this State for the sure foundation and more permanent security thereof, declare: MASSACHUSETTS 1790: We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course of His providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud, violence, or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit and solemn compact with each other; and for forming a new Constitution of civil government, for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain, and establish the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MICHIGAN 1909: We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, and earnestly desiring to secure these blessings undiminished to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution. MINNESOTA 1857: We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty and desiring to perpetuate its blessings and secure the same to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution. MISSISSIPPI 1890: We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking his blessing on our work, do ordain and establish this Constitution. Missouri 1945: We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness, do establish this Constitution for the better government of the State. MONTANA 1889: We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty, in order to secure the advantages of a State government, do in accordance with the provisions of the enabling act of Congress, approve the twenty second of February AD 1889, ordain and establish this Constitution. NEBRASKA 1875: We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, do ordain and establish the following declaration of rights and frame of government, as the Constitution of the State of Nebraska. NEVADA 1864: We, the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, insure domestic tranquility, and form a more perfect government, do establish this Constitution. NEW HAMPSHIRE 1784: Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and reason, morality and piety, rightly grounded on evangelical principles, will give the best and greatest security to government, and will lay, in the hearts of men, the strongest obligations to due subjection; and the knowledge of these is most likely to be propagated through society by the institutions of the public worship of the Deity.

 

cont'd

[Soldier4Christ]

NEW JERSEY 1947: We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hat so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this Constitution. NEW MEXICO 1912: We, the people of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty, in order to secure the advantages of a State government, do ordain and establish this Constitution. NEW YORK 1895: We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, do establish this Constitution. NORTH CAROLINA 1876: We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of these blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain security thereof and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish this Constitution. NORTH DAKOTA 1889: We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain and establish this Constitution. OHIO 1851: We, the people of the State of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution. OKLAHOMA 1907: Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty; to secure just and rightful government; to promote our mutual welfare and happiness, we the people of the State of Oklahoma, do ordain and establish this Constitution. OREGON 1859: We, the people of the State of Oregon, to the end that justice be established, order maintained, and liberty perpetuated, do ordain this Constitution.

PENNSYLVANIA 1874: W, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance, do ordain and establish this Constitution. RHODE ISLAND 1843: We, the people of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and to transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations do ordain and establish this Constitution of Governments. SOUTH CAROLINA 1895: We, the people of the State of South Carolina, in convention assembled, grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the preservation and perpetuation of the same. SOUTH DAKOTA 1889: We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties, in order to form a more perfect and independent government, establish justice, insure tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and preserve to ourselves and to our posterity the blessings of liberty, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of South Dakota. TENNESSEE 1870: That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience; that no man can of right, be compelled to attend, erect, or support any TEXAS 1876: Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God, the people of the State of Texas, do ordain and establish this Constitution. UTAH 1895: Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we the people of Utah, in order to secure and perpetuate the principles of free government, do ordain and establish this Constitution. VERMONT 1793: That all men have a natural and unalienable right, to worship Almighty God, according to the dictates of their own consciences and understandings as in their opinion shall be regulated by the word of God: and that no man ought to or of right can be compelled to attend any religious worship, or erect or support any place of worship, or maintain any minister, contrary to the dictates of his conscience, nor can any man be justly deprived or abridged of any civil right as a citizen, on account of his religious sentiments, or peculiar mode of religious worship; and that no authority can or ought to be vested in, or assumed by, any power whatever, that shall in any case interfere with, or in any manner control the rights of conscience, in the free exercise of religious worship. Nevertheless, every sect or denomination of Christians ought to observe the Sabbath or Lord’s day, and keep up some sort of religious worship, which to them shall seem most agreeable to the revealed will of God. VIRGINIA 1902: That religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and, therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other. WASHINGTON 1889 We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution. WEST VIRGINIA ( ): Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of west Virginia, in and through the provisions of this Constitution, reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God and seek diligently to promote, preserve and perpetuate good government in the State of West Virginia for the common welfare, freedom and security of ourselves and our posterity. WISCONSIN 1848: We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, forms a more perfect government, insure domestic tranquility and promote the general welfare, do establish this Constitution. WYOMING 1889: We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political and religious liberties, and desiring to secure them to ourselves and perpetuate them to our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

This preamble does not include Alaska or Hawaii.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Father of Religious Liberty

Francis Makemie who was born in Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland, A.D. 1658, was educated at Glasgow University, Scotland, and came as an ordained Evangelist to the American Colonies AD 1683 at the request of Col. William Steven's, of Rehobeth, Maryland. A devoted and able preacher of our Lord's Gospel, he labored faithfully and freely for twenty- five years in Maryland, Virginia, the Barbados and elsewhere.

A Christian gentleman, an enterprising man of affairs, a public spirited citizen, a distinguished advocate of Religious Liberty, for which he suffered under the Governor of New York, he is especially remembered as the chief founder of organized Presbytery in America, AD 1706, and as the first moderator of the General Presbytery. He died at his home in Accomack County, Virginia, in the summer of AD 1708, and was buried in his family cemetery, located on this spot, now recovered from a long desecration and dedicated with this monument to his memory AD 1908 by the American "Presbyterian Historical Society, " seated at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This very general description doesn't even begin to do justice to the life of a man who is known as "The Father of American Presbyterianism," and perhaps should be known as the "Father of American Religious Liberty. "

Rehobeth, Maryland is on the eastern shore of the state, on the Pokomoke River. In 1683, Maryland under Lord Baltimore enjoyed a measure of religious freedom. In Virginia, however, the colony followed England's practice of an official state church. Citizens were expected to support the clergy to the tune of "ten pounds of tobacco and a bushel of corn from every person sixteen years old and up " In 1689 the English parliament passed the Toleration Act, affording some degree of religious toleration throughout England. But shortly thereafter Maryland established the Church of England as the official church of the colony. All preachers were required to obtain licenses and special permits. In Virginia, "Dissenters," which was every religion except the Church of England were denied the right to use church buildings.

Makemie preached in Maryland and Virginia and his sloop, Tabitha became a familiar sight along the rivers and inlets of the Chesapeake Bay. Finally in 1699, authorities in Virginia arrested him for preaching without a license. Makemie appeared before the governor and burgeses in his own defense. He declared that he was "a loyal citizen of Her Excellency's Ancient and Noble Colony of Virginia," and that he was "laboring continuously to propagate the true knowledge of the Christian Religion" He argued that under English Common law, the Act of Toleration applied to the colonies as well as England. He spoke so effectively, and perhaps with the help of the Holy Spirit, that the governor not only licensed his dwelling in Onancock, but permitted him to preach anywhere in the colony.

In January 1707, Makemie was traveling to New England through New York. Hearing of his visit, the Dutch and French reformed churches there invited him to speak, and invitation he gladly accepted. Unfortunately, the governor of New York at the time was a puffed up relative of Queens Mary II and Anne, a Lord Cornbury. He issued a warrant for Makemie's arrest and the authorities brought the preacher to face the governor himself.

Cornbury was outraged that Makemie would preach in "his" government without a license, and demanded that Makemie post a bond to ensure his future compliance. It has been suggested in some quarters that Cornbury benefited personally from the collection of such bonds, but this has not been proven. Never the less, Makemie tried to argue that the Toleration Act gave him liberty to preach, but Cornbury was adamant. He charged Makemie with preaching to more than five people and placed him in jail. The trial was set for the following June, 18 months later.

Fortunately New York had some measure of civil liberties at the time, and Makemie applied to the Supreme Court on writ of habeas corpus. The authorities released him on bail. Makemie returned to New York to stand trial. Three of the ablest lawyers in the colony defended him, but after they were done with their arguments, Makemie spoke in his own defense. Again, he spoke with such force and clarity that he was vindicated from every charge. But in a final act of spite, the chief justice required Makemie to pay the cost of his own trial where he was found not guilty. The unreasonable court requirement so aroused the citizens of New York that the Assembly passed a law making this practice illegal. As for Cornbury, his tyranny in the Makemie affair was the major cause for his own imprisonment and disgraceful recall as governor. Remember in 1707, the monarch of England would still have a relatively fresh memory of the Glorious Revolution where Parliament forced the tyrannical James II from his throne. Defending himself, Cornbury described Makemie as a "Jack of all Trades: he is a preacher, a Doctor of Physick, a Merchant, an Attorney, or Counselor at law, and, which is worst of all, a Disturber of Governments."

God helping us, we would be guilty of being a "Disturber of Governments" that oppose the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But as for Francis Makemie, he died only a year after his trial. He had worn himself out for the cause of liberty and the cause of righteousness.

[Soldier4Christ]

Have you ever wondered if a President has made a public profession of salvation? Learn more about President Abraham Lincoln and his answer to that important question...

Abraham Lincoln -- For Such A Time As This

A Baltimore newspaper published the following story during the Civil War: "Passing through one of the hospitals devoted exclusively to Confederate sick and wounded, President Lincoln's attention was drawn to a young Georgian.... "Every stranger that entered (was) caught in his restless eyes, in hope of their being some relative or friend. President Lincoln observed this youthful soldier, approached and spoke, asking him if he suffered much pain. 'I do,' was the reply. 'I have lost a leg, and feel I am sinking from exhaustion.'
"'Would you,' said Mr. Lincoln, 'shake hands with me if I were to tell you who I am?' The response was affirmative, 'There should be no enemies in this place.'

"Then said the distinguished visitor, 'I am Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States.' The young sufferer raised his head, looking amazed, and freely extended his hand, which Mr. Lincoln took and pressed tenderly for some time."

Abraham Lincoln hated war. He despised the pain and suffering and division it brought. From the time he took office until the day the South surrendered, he was consumed with two goals; end the war and preserve the Union. However, historians agree Lincoln was never ready to preserve the Union at all costs. Slavery was a bitter word that rose in his mouth whenever he allowed himself to think of the "monstrous injustice" it brought. It is a "cancer," said Lincoln, "one that is threatening to grow out of control in a nation originally dedicated to the inalienable right of man."

Yet he held no prejudice against the South. "They are just what we would be in their situation." However, the issue of slavery and the conviction that something must be done to stop its spread were enough motivation to persuade Lincoln to pursue a career in politics. In 1846 after having served one term on the Illinois State Legislature (1834), he was elected to the U. S. Congress. Four major defeats (to the Congress in 1848; the Senate in 1855 and 1858; and the U. S. Vice Presidential nomination in 1856) kept him from public office until 1860 when he was chosen to represent the Republican party during the Presidential election. Election day found him waiting nervously at the Springfield, Illinois, telegraph office for election results. By day's end, friends and family addressed him as President-elect. "The North had swept Lincoln into office," writes author Russell Freedman. "In the South, his name hadn't even appeared on the ballot."

Lincoln was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, in 1809. Thanks to the devotion of his mother, Nancy, who died when he was quite young, and then his stepmother, Sarah Bush, Lincoln grew to regard the Bible as a foundational tool for life. Lincoln once said: "This great book [the Bible]...is the best gift God has given to man...But for it we could not know right from wrong." At the age of twenty-two Lincoln moved to New Salem, Illinois, where he opened his first store. Later, he met and became close associates with Mentor Graham, the town's schoolmaster. It was through this friendship and by joining Graham's debate team that Lincoln discovered his talent as a public speaker. Friend and attorney, John Todd Stuart, urged Lincoln to study law, saying it was a good profession, especially if he wanted to enter politics. Three years later, he passed his exams and began practicing law.

With his future set, Lincoln married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842. The Lincolns had three sons-Robert, Willie, and Tad. Despite his Christian upbringing, Lincoln did not accept Christ as his Savior until later in life. While he governed the nation by many of the principles written in God's Word, he lacked a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. After the death of his son, Willie, Lincoln heard for the first time of Christ's personal love and forgiveness for each man and woman.

He wrote: "When I left Springfield, I asked the people to pray for me; I was not a Christian. When I buried my son-the severest trial of my life - I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg, and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ."

Finally, Lincoln had found the inner peace he longed for all his life. Following his salvation experience, he worshiped regularly at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church and planned to make a public confession of his faith. The war was winding down. Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9- Palm Sunday, and Lincoln was re-elected President. He gave thanks to God for bringing a close to the war and began turning the nation's interest toward reconciliation and reconstruction. However, five days later on Good Friday, he was shot by an assassin's bullet.

Throughout his life, Lincoln suffered many defeats - enough to make most men give up. But not Abraham Lincoln. His dedication and commitment found merit in heaven. He believed he was chosen "for such a time as this." In the Gettysburg Address he wrote: "We cannot escape history. We...will be remembered in spite of ourselves....In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve." been a miracle of God's grace all the way through."

[Len]

It is quite likely someone has posted this here but here goes anyway. We have moved away from God as a nation because we have moved away from God as individuals. A closely related thread is in the Debate Forum. And I was reading in Haggai this morning about God telling the Israelites that they lived in paneled houses but His temple had not been built. That is a picture of each individual today meeting personal worldly desires rather than building a temple for God in our hearts. The need for tending to the temple of the heart is confirmed in Matthew 6:33 if we truly want to be fullfilled and blessed of God.

If we are to claim the promise of God in 2 Chronicles 7:14, we must each one make our heart a temple for God. He cannot bless us unless we allow Him to do so.

[nChrist]

AMEN BROTHERS!

Pastor Roger, thanks for reviving this thread. I really enjoy it and make copies for family use.

Len, you are 100% correct. We do have to want the spiritual riches of CHRIST as individual Christians before GOD will give them to us. The HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD does live in the hearts of Christians, but many Christians really don't want HIM to be as strong as HE could be in our lives. I like the comparison of food for our physical bodies versus food for our hearts. For Christians, spiritual food should be more important than food for our physical bodies. We will only be using our physical bodies during this short life, but our spirits will live for eternity with JESUS. I also love to think about the time that GOD will give us our glorified bodies.

We have to want to eat and be fed spiritual food, and GOD has richly provided it if we will just yield and take the time to partake. I'm thinking about many portions of Scripture that contain "That your joy might be more full." Christians can be and should be the happiest people on earth in this short life, mainly because we know who holds all of our tomorrows for eternity. GOD intended all of us to grow in strength, mature in the wisdom of the LORD, and experience a real JOY in JESUS that is possible even in this short life. BUT, GOD doesn't force us to partake of the riches HE has already provided for us. So, our possible level of JOY in JESUS is up to us. Our Christian strength and maturity is also up to us, but everything we need has already been supplied by GOD.

May we all yield and seek "that our joy might be more full."

Love in Christ,
Tom

Psalms 33:12 NASB  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

Psalms 73:26 NASB  My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

[Soldier4Christ]

There is a lot of discussion today about the legality of the words "In God We Trust" in the news since a lawsuit has been initiated in an attempt to wipe it from our history and anything public. It is little understood the complexity that this action would have on our nation. These words are not just found on our money as it is published but they can be found elsewhere, in our National Anthem, on court buildings including the U.S. Supreme Court building as well as other national monuments.

It is said that these words had little to do with our founding and were added in illegally later on. While it is true that these words were not officially added as our National Motto until 1954 these words were and are an integral part of the history of our nation. Most people know the history of the use of this phrase on our coins. It is a well publicized history on the internet. Following though are some facts that are little known and receive veritably no publicity at all.

The earliest useage of this phrase can be found in some old daguerreotypes. The coat of arms of Staveley [1815] is probably the most ornate of all the examples that have survived. The motto is taken largely from the older, Bristol Society of Brushmakers [ formed in 1782 ]  " In peace and unity, may we support the trade and keep out those that would our rights invade - In God is our trust". The United Society of Brushmakers. There are others that reflect the useage of these words that date back to just prior to our becoming a nation.

The fourth stanza of The Star Spangled Banner has the phrase "And this be our motto: In God is our trust."  The Star-Spangled Banner was written on September 14, 1814.

Another old document is The Calcium Light Sharpshooters Recruitment Broadside which was a poster recruiting sharpshooters as Soldiers for the United States Union under Colonel Robert Grant. This broadside shows the statement "Then Conquer we must, for our Cause it is just, And this be our Motto: In God is our Trust." Company E of the 102nd New York, the Calcium Light Sharpshooters were recruited in New York City in 1861 and served in a consolidated regiment in March 1862.

It is said that there are a number of books that state this was a war cry used by the above unit as well as the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment during the Civil War, however I have not been able to validate this for sure as I have not been able to locate these books or copies of them as of yet.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, at a time when there was but a small population in Oconto (which was not yet officially a city) the area raised three military companies and enlisted many men in outside companies. No other place shows a better record in Wisconsin.

Men from all over Oconto County made up the company and were transported by boat to the present city of Green Bay. There in 1861, on the day the troops were to depart for the war, a great crowd gathered to bid them farewell. The soldiers were presented with articles and tokens to be used while serving their country. An address was given by Mrs. M. L. Martin. A portion of that address is shown below:

"'In God is our trust', praying, also, even with your last breath, that the flag of the Union may soon wave as triumphantly over the palmetto and orange tree of the far South as over our own sturdy, generous, free North!"

[Soldier4Christ]

The Bay Psalm Book (1640)
The New England Primer (1683?)

    The Bay Psalm Book and The New England Primer were, next to the Bible, the most commonly owned books in seventeenth-century New England. Together, they served to disseminate Puritan values for over a hundred years. Designed to be inexpensive and easily portable, they addressed the Puritan concern for having personal faith reconfirmed in daily activity. They established the basic texts of Puritan culture, setting them to familiar hymn tunes and pictured alphabets, thus enabling singing, recitation, and memorization. These books made possible individual participation in the culture, but they also represent the authoritative disciplining of that individuality through culturally sanctioned texts and behavior.

    In 1647, the Massachusetts courts warned against that “old deluder, Satan,” who strove “to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures,...by keeping them in an unknown tongue.” The Bay Psalm Book addressed this warning by translating the Hebrew psalms of David into idiomatic, metrical English to be sung by the entire congregation both in church and at home. The New England Primer offered every child (“and apprentice”) the chance to learn to read the catechism and a set of moral precepts. Both books insisted on the cultural and religious importance of reading in the vernacular instead of in a language available only to university-trained clergy. The 1647 court hoped that “learning may not be buried in the grave of the fathers in the church and commonwealth.”

    The Bay Psalm Book was the collaborative project of over twelve leading Puritan divines and the first publishing venture of the Massachusetts colony. The 1700 copies of the first edition provided Puritans with “a plain and familiar translation” designed to represent more “faithfully” the Hebrew psalms than did the version used by the Pilgrims of neighboring Plymouth. As John Cotton wrote in 1643, the translation was “as near the original as we could express it in our English tongue.” In his preface, Cotton defended the Puritans’ version as attending to “Conscience rather than Elegance, fidelity rather than poetry”: “If therefore the verses are not always so smooth and elegant as some may desire or expect; let them consider that God’s Altar needs not our polishings.” Often printed in England and Scotland as well as in the colonies, the psalter went through over fifty editions in the next century. Revised by Richard Lyon and Henry Dunster (the first president of Harvard) in 1651, and three more times in the 1700s (once by Cotton Mather), The Bay Psalm Book was widely used until it was supplanted in the eighteenth century by psalters written by Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady (1696), by Isaac Watts (1719), and by John and Charles Wesley (1737). Psalm singing continued to be considered an important means by which the general population could learn the cultural text through the eighteenth century and into the nineteenth century. Emerson, describing the singing of the psalms during the 1835 bicentennial celebration of Concord, spoke with a kind of reverence about the psalm singing: “It was a noble ancient strain, & had the more effect from being ‘deaconed’ out, a line at a time, after the fashion of our grandfathers, & sung by the whole congregation.”

    The New England Primer, which is estimated to have sold five million copies of its various versions from 1683 to 1830, offered the Puritan child literacy and religious training combined. By means of an illustrated alphabet, moral sentences, poems, and a formal catechism (either the Westminster Assembly’s “Shorter Catechism” or John Cotton’s “Spiritual Milk for Babes”), the child was to be “both instructed in his Duty, and encouraged in his Learning.” The book was the practical outgrowth of the colony’s insistence on the importance of widespread literacy as a means for salvation and civic order. A 1642 law required town leaders to inquire into the training of children, “especially their ability to read and understand the principles of Religion and the Capital laws of the country.” The Primer’s exemplary poem by the martyred John Rogers exhorts children to treasure the “little Book” of their father’s words, to “Lay up [God’s] Laws within your heart, and print them in your thought.” The young readers of the Primer, like Rogers’s children, were not just the “Heirs of earthly Things”; they were expected to inherit and preserve the cultural and religious values of the community, to be responsible for “that part, / which never shall decay” as long as each generation learned the words and creeds, the promises and definitions upon which Puritan culture was based.

    Both the Psalm Book and the Primer are evolving texts, whose frequent revisions show their valued yet contested status as cultural transmissions. They are the product neither of a single author nor of one historical period, but embody the changing values of a changing society and show the influence of new events and situations, of variation in language and literary taste. Although both books clearly advance a dominant ideology, insisting on specific religious beliefs and moral precepts, they also show concern for making creeds responsive to the particular historical circumstances of the colonists. The preface to the Psalm Book warns against mere imitation of ancient poetry, advocating instead that “every nation without scruple might follow...their own country poetry.” The Psalm Book was revised to satisfy the desire for “a little more Art,” in reaction to changing practices of church singing and under the influence of neoclassical and Latin poetry. The introduction to the 1752 revision justified changes because “the Flux of Languages has rendered several Phrases in it obsolete, and the Mode of Expression in various Places less acceptable.” The 1758 revision sought to elevate “diminutive Terms” into “more grand and noble Words” (changing, for example, “Hills” to “Mountains,” “Floods” to “Seas”) and to match diction more closely with mood (“for grand Ideas, I seek the most majestick Words; for tender Sentiments, the softest Words”).

    The Primer proved even more chameleon, as it was adapted to different geographical areas (e.g., The Albany Primer, The Pennsylvania Primer) and to different ethnic groups (an Indian Primer of 1781 was a dual-language text, designed for Mohawk children “to acquire the spelling and reading of their own: As well as to get acquainted with the English Tongue, which for that purpose is put on the opposite page”). Although certain sections of the Primer were regularly retained (especially the catechism, the pictured alphabet, and John Rogers’s poem), revisions over time show the influence of events (the American Revolution, the evangelical movement of the 1800s) and changes in attitudes (the softening of attitudes toward punishment and sin, the move toward more secularized moral education), as well as changes in children’s literature. In later, more secularized versions, naughty children are threatened not with tempests and the consuming fire, but with losing “Oranges, Apples, Cakes, or Nuts,” and the grim poem of the martyr is printed in uneasy conjunction with Isaac Watts’s soothing “Cradle Song.” The value of literacy as a route to eternal salvation becomes, in a 1790 English revision, the promise of economic advancement. An 1800 version even replaces the trademark illustrated alphabet with a milder verse, “A was an apple-pie.” Thus the Psalm Book and the Primer, in their multiple versions, both chronicle and foster historical change. They are central texts of Puritan culture, and they mark the subsequent transformations and uses of that culture.

[Soldier4Christ]

In 1647, the Massachusetts courts warned against that “old deluder, Satan,” who strove “to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures,...by keeping them in an unknown tongue.”

How true that is. Satan is still working hard trying to keep that knowledge from us and our children by using such organizations and individuals today that want any semblance of Christianity out of the public view.

[Soldier4Christ]

The New England Primer

This was a standard reader in New England in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It was used in both public and Sunday Schools. At that time children of all ages studied in the same classroom, so it has portions oriented towards younger and older students.

Besides instruction in the alphabet, the New England Primer also served to teach of that time and place in reading, behaviour, and Christianity. These primers were approved by the government for use in the public schools.

The following is portions from the 1777 edition. One of the earliest editions to survive.

__________________________

A Divine Song of Praise to GOD, for a Child,
by the Rev. Dr. Watts.
 HOW glorious is our heavenly King,
Who reigns above tha Sky!
How shall a Child presume to sing
His dreadful Majesty!
 How great his Power is none can tell,
Nor think how large his grace:
Nor men below, nor Saints that dwell,
On high before his Face.
 Nor Angels that stand round the Lord,
Can search his secret will;
But they perform his heav'nly Word,
And sing his Praises still.
 Then let me join this holy Train;
And my first Off'rings bring;
The eternal GOD will not disdain
To hear an Infant sing.
 My Heart resolves, my Tongue obeys,
And Angels shall rejoice,
To hear their mighty Maker's Praise,
Sound from a feeble Voice.


The young INFANT'S or CHILD'S morning Prayer.
From Dr. WATTS.

 ALMIGHTY God the Maker of every thing in Heaven and Earth; the Darkness goes away, and the Day light comes at thy Command. Thou art good and doest good continually.

 I thank thee that thou has taken such Care of me this Night, and that I am alive and well this Morning.

 Save me, O God, from Evil, all this Day long, and let me love and serve thee forever, for the Sake of Jesus Christ thy Son. AMEN. 


 The INFANT'S or young CHILD'S Evening Prayer.
From Dr. WATTS.

 O LORD God who knowest all Things, thou seest me by Night as well as by Day.

 I pray thee for Christ's Sake, forgive me whatsoever I have done amiss this Day, and keep me all this Night, while I am asleep.

 I desire to lie down under thy Care, and to abide forever under thy Blessing, for thou art a God of all Power and everlasting Mercy. AMEN. 

 A Lesson for Children.
Pray to God. Call no ill names. Love God. Use no ill words. Fear God. Tell no lies. Serve God. Hate Lies. Take not God's Speak the Truth. Name in vain. Spend your Time well. Do not Swear. Love your School. Do not Steal. Mind your Book. Cheat not in your play. Strive to learn. Play not with bad boys. Be not a Dunce.
A     In ADAM'S Fall
We sinned all.
B     Heaven to find;
The Bible Mind.
C     Christ crucify'd
For sinners dy'd.
D     The Deluge drown'd
The Earth around.
E     ELIJAH hid
By Ravens fed.
F     The judgment made
FELIX afraid.
 
G     As runs the Glass,
Our Life doth pass.
H     My Book and Heart
Must never part.
J     JOB feels the Rod,--
Yet blesses GOD.
K     Proud Korah's troop
Was swallowed up
L     LOT fled to Zoar,
Saw fiery Shower
On Sodom pour.
M     MOSES was he
Who Israel's Host
Led thro' the Sea
 
N     NOAH did view
The old world & new.
O     Young OBADIAS,
DAVID, JOSIAS,
All were pious.
P     PETER deny'd
His Lord and cry'd.
Q     Queen ESTHER sues
And saves the Jews.
R     Young pious RUTH,
Left all for Truth.
S     Young SAM'L dear,
The Lord did fear.
 
T     Young TIMOTHY
Learnt sin to fly.
V     VASHTI for Pride
Was set aside.
W     Whales in the Sea,
GOD's Voice obey.
X     XERXES did die,
And so must I.
Y     While youth do chear
Death may be near.
Z     ZACCHEUS he
Did climb the Tree
Our Lord to see.

cont'd

[Soldier4Christ]

Who was the first man ?      Adam.
Who was the first woman ?     Eve.
Who was the first Murderer ?     Cain.
Who was the first Martyr ?     Abel.
Who was the first Translated ?     Enoch.
Who was the oldest Man ?     Methuselah.
Who built the Ark ?     Noah.
Who was the Patientest Man ?     Job.
Who was the Meekest Man ?     Moses.
Who led Israel into Canaan ?     Joshua.
Who was the strongest Man ?     Sampson.
Who killed Goliah ?     David.
Who was the wisest Man ?     Soloman.
Who was in the Whale's Belly?     Jonah.
Who saves lost Men ?     Jesus Christ.
Who is Jesus Christ ?     The Son of God.
Who was the Mother of Christ ?     Mary.
Who betrayed his Master ?     Judas.
Who denied his Master ?     Peter.
Who was the first Christian Martyr?     Stephen.
Who was chief Apostle of the Gentiles ?     Saul.
The Infant's Grace before and after Meat.
BLESS me, O Lord, and let my food strengthen me to serve thee, for Jesus Christ's sake. AMEN.

 I Desire to thank God who gives me food to eat every day of my life. AMEN.
What's right and good now shew me Lord, and lead me by they grace and word. Thus shall I be a child of God, and love and fear they hand and rod.

 
An Alphabet of Lessons for Youth.
A Wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

 BEtter is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure & trouble therewith.

 COme unto Christ all ye that labor and are heavy laden and he will give you rest.

 DO not the abominable thing which I hate saith the Lord.

 EXcept a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 FOolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

 GODLINESS is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come.

 HOLINESS becomes GOD's house for ever.

 IT is good for me to draw near unto GOD.
KEEP thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

 LIARS shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.

 MANY are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivereth them out of them all.

 NOW is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.

 OUT of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

 PRAY to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which sees in secret shall reward thee openly.

 QUIT you like men, be strong, stand fast in the faith.

 REMEMBER thy Creator in the days of thy youth.

 SEest thou a man wise in his own conceit, there is more hope of a fool than of him.

 TRUST in God at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts before him.

 UPON the wicked, God shall rain an horrible tempest.

 WO to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
EXHORT one another daily while it is called to day, lest any of you be hardened thro' the deceitfulness of sin.

 YOUNG men ye have overcome the wicked one.

 ZEal hath consumed me, because thy enemies have forgotten the word of God. 

cont'd

[Soldier4Christ]

 The LORD's Prayer.
OUR Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. AMEN.

 
The CREED.
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he arose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father,
Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlafting. AMEN.

 
Dr. WATTS'S Cradle Hymn.
HUSH my dear, lie still and slumber,
holy angels guard thy bed,

 Heavenly blessings without number,
gently falling on thy head.

 Sleep my babe, thy food and raiment
house and home thy friends provide,

 All without thy care or payment,
all thy wants are well supply'd.

 How much better thou'rt attended,
than the Son of God could be,

 When from heaven he descended,
and became a child like thee.

 Soft and easy is thy cradle,
coarse and hard thy Saviour lay,

 When his birth-place was a stable,
and his softest bed was hay.

 Blessed Babe ! what glorious features
spotless fair, divinely bright! !

 Must he dwell with brutal creatures,
how could angels bear the sight !

 Was there nothing but a manger,
cursed sinners could afford,

 To receive the heavenly stranger;
did they thus affront their Lord.

 Soft my child I did not chide thee,
tho' my song may sound too hard;

 'Tis thy mother sits beside thee,
and her arms shall be thy guard.

 Yet to read the shameful story,
how the Jews abus'd their King,

 How they serv'd the Lord of glory,
makes me angry while, I sing.

 See the kinder shepherds round him,
telling wonders from the sky;

 There they sought him, there they found him,
with his Virgin Mother by.

 See the lovely Babe a dreaming;
lovely Infant how he smil'd !

 When he wept, the Mother's blessing
sooth'd and hush'd the holy child.

 Lo ! he slumbers in his manger,
where the horned oxen fed;

 Peace my darling here's no danger
here's no Ox a near thy bed.

 'Twas to save thee, child from dying,
save my dear from burning flame,
Bitter groans and endless crying,
that thy blest Redeemer came.

 May'st thou live to know and fear him,
trust and love him all thy days !

 Then go dwell for ever near him,
see his face and sing his praise.

 I could give thee thousand kisses,
hoping what I most desire:

 Not a mother's fondest wishes,
can to greater joys aspire.

[Soldier4Christ]

There is a whole lot more to this primer but this is sufficient enough to give you the idea here. The teaching of Christianity in the public schools was important to our founding fathers. I have a digital copy of this old text and will be willing to give a copy of it to anyone that wishes it. Please feel free to ask.

[Soldier4Christ]

'Abstain From Evil'
Was Once a Lesson
In Pupils' Textbooks


In early American public schools, there was no separation between church and state. Tenets of Christianity were embedded in almost every lesson and book, including spelling, reading, history, grammar, arithmetic and science.

A was for Adam, B was for the Bible and C was for Christ. In arithmetic, "How many days is it since the birth of Our Savior?" In geography, "Christianity is the prevailing religion of the leading nations of the world." In science, "All parts of the solar system are framed and adjusted to answer exactly the purpose intended by the Creator." In nature, "The more we examine the insect world, the more sensible do we become of the mighty power and goodness of God."

The schoolbooks used by early Americans were supposed to teach literacy and knowledge, but they also had a broader purpose: to create a national character, instilling children with a belief in God and a moral code appropriate to the pious citizens of a new republic. While learning to read, students also had to absorb messages about religion, patriotism and other virtues, such as thrift, diligence and honesty.

"A sense of God permeates all [early school books] as surely as a sense of nationalism," wrote Ruth Miller Elson in "Guardians of Tradition" (1964). "The books devote the greater part of their space to the subject of God's relationship to the universe, to man and to the child himself."

As late as 1880, Noah Webster's popular spelling book included practice sentences such as, "God created heaven and earth in six days" and "The devil is the great adversary of man."

The first textbooks in American schools -- primers and spellers -- came from England. They usually included lessons in several subjects in a single volume, guiding the poorly trained teachers as much as their students. But American educators wanted a homegrown curriculum, emphasizing what they saw as uniquely American values. "Unlike aristocratic and monarchical Europe, America was free, young and vigorous," wrote Michael V. Belok in "Forming the American Minds," his 1973 book. "And Americans were convinced that the hand of God played an active part in their affairs."

By the end of the 18th century, a thriving textbook industry had taken root in the U.S. No credentials were required to write a schoolbook, and ministers, lawyers, teachers and publishers all tried their hands at it. Almost all the books were printed and distributed locally, so children in different areas might be studying different texts. But because there were few copyright laws, schoolbook authors often borrowed or plagiarized similar material from earlier volumes.

The books were subject to little editing or expert review, and they reflected the prejudices of their authors. In his 1784 textbook, "Geography Made Easy," Jedidiah Morse (whose son Samuel would later invent the telegraph) described the characteristics of people living in different U.S. states: Virginians were "indolent, easy and good-natured," he wrote; Westerners "produce a strange sort of lawless profligacy."

Morse especially liked the people of Connecticut. In the 1812 edition of "American Universal Geography," he wrote, "Only two duels were ever fought in the state; the first between two West Indians, the second between two citizens of New York who crossed the line."

The purpose of education, which for many children stopped after elementary school, was to prepare them for life as devout farmers in a frontier democracy. Only useful knowledge was important, and reading material was supposed to be informative or morally edifying.

Arithmetic books often included a section on surveying, with problems involving how to measure tobacco, rum or wheat. National heroes loomed large: Noah Webster's 1787 "Lessons in Reading and Speaking" started, "Begin with the infant in his cradle: Let the first word lisped be 'Washington.' " Benjamin Franklin was the "consummate type and flowering of human nature under the skies of colonial America."

Schools trained the heart as much as the head: An 1882 reader admonished, "Little children, you must seek rather to be good than wise."

In her 1846 American-history textbook, Emma Willard wrote that her goal, more than training memory or intellect, was "to sow the seeds of virtue, by showing the good in such amiable lights that the youthful heart shall kindle into desires of imitation."

As the country grew and diversified during the 19th century, and waves of immigrants brought their own faiths and opinions to the U.S., overtly religious references were dropped from most school texts. Lessons about virtue and goodness, however, continued. From late 19th-century spellers: "Abstain from evil." "Obey the law." "Be on your guard against evil associates."

Although early schoolbooks portrayed the world as a moral place, where virtue is rewarded and vice punished, they also didn't shrink from the cruel realities of life on the frontier ("Xerxes did die/And so must you and I," said one speller).

"Schoolbooks made the 19th-century child thoroughly aware that life is hard and full of natural and manmade pitfalls," wrote Ms. Elson. "It is his duty to strive for success, but he will struggle hard on the way."

[nChrist]

How true that is. Satan is still working hard trying to keep that knowledge from us and our children by using such organizations and individuals today that want any semblance of Christianity out of the public view.

Brother, you hit the nail on the head, and satan has hosts of helpers. GOD didn't tell Christians that this life would be easy. Christians are literally dying in portions of the world doing GOD'S Work or just being a Christian. We should all expect that things will get much worse.

Love In Christ,
Tom

2 Corinthians 9:8 NASB  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;