Ancient Landmarks

 

“Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.” Proverbs 22:28

In the study of history there is a great and oft neglected recurring theme in the human condition. That theme is the constant need to be refreshed in truth. Truth without filters or revisionism. The Children of Israel needed it, Christians in

Europe needed it and today you and I as Christian Americans need it. There is an almost famine state in America for the truth! We used to teach our young the truth in our homes, our schools and yes even in our churches. As we prepare for the upcoming 235^th anniversary of the birth of our Christian Nation I believe we as a people need to be reacquainted with our Godly Heritage. The scripture referenced above admonishes us to be caretakers of our “ancient landmarks” or more to the point, our history. Landmarks are what define and remind us of who we are as a nation. I’m sure you have noticed that there are plenty of efforts to remove these ancient landmarks.

One of the most common attacks upon our heritage as a Christian Nation is the idea that we are not a Christian Nation and that the Founders were mostly deist and our country is no different than any other. That is just not true. There are too many historical documents that prove conclusively that we are a Christian Nation.  For example the book “Seedtime of the Republic”, written by noted historian Clinton Rossiter. Rossiter conducted research to find out who the greatest intellectual influence on American Independence was. The answer may surprise you. He narrowed the field of individuals down to six men. Two were politicians and the remaining four were preachers of the gospel! One of those ministers was the Reverend John Wise of Massachusetts. Using the Bible Reverend Wise demonstrated through scripture the basis for the three branches of government (Isaiah 33:22), that consent of the governed is the basis of biblical government (Exodus 18:25) separation of powers (Jeremiah 17:9) and that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights (Genesis 1:26). Each one of these ideals are found in our founding documents and on top of that Reverend Wise had preached on each of these important precepts plus numerous others all by 1687! It is also important to point out that Reverend Wise was just one of hundreds of ministers of the gospel who preached thousands upon thousands of sermons that now serve as a historical reference and testament to our Godly Heritage. It is an interesting historical fact that was the clergy, theologians and pastors that provided the intellectual fire power our Founding Fathers depended on when engaged in the arduous task of nation building. You will not find an ideal or concept in our founding documents that was not already thoroughly covered from American pulpits by 1763. From our own history as a nation this is but one crucial aspect concerning our Godly Heritage as Americans. As founding father Thomas Jefferson states,” "History, by apprising [citizens] of the past will enable them to judge of the future; it will avail them of the experience of other times and other nations; it will qualify them as judges of the actions and designs of men; it will enable them to know ambition under every disguise it may assume; and knowing it, to defeat its views." You and I have been blessed with a great responsibility, to not only know our heritage but to guard it and transmit it to our latest posterity. Consider the example of Reverend John Wise as just one of our many shared “ancient landmarks” of which you and I are but temporary caretakers of in this One Nation under God.