Ryan D. Nelson and Dr. Neal Lambert, Humanities

For this work, I attempted to look closer at the influence that the early Puritan political sermons had upon the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Although an interesting topic to study in general, I found it necessary to consistently revise my research to become more specific. Since the Puritan political sermons are hard to come by, I analyzed the political sermons from the best compilation up to date; that from Sandoz. 1

First, I analyzed approximately 12 of these sermons delivered between 1773 – 1776 to determine their literary characteristics, style use, and literary ideas. I found that they relied heavily on biblical image, that there was a consistent form to these sermons, and that the themes were generally consistent. While I wanted to find a direct correlation between these concepts and concepts presented in the Declaration of Independence, that task proved to be too vague and too broad. I did find some minor correlations between the writing style and form, but not enough that would imply a stronger correlation than simply being political documents written in the same time period.

However, I did find that the Puritan political sermons served an important function in preserving the political ideas of freedom, liberty, and covenant. Therefore, I revised my research somewhat to study how the political sermons set the groundwork which aided in the writing and acceptance of the Declaration of Independence. Although the sermons may not have been the most important foundation, they were a vital forum to develop and define the values embodied in the Declaration of Independence.

Second, I analyzed exactly what the Puritans preached in their political sermons and to some degree the range of their influence. The Puritans related many Biblical types to the current political struggle for freedom. They spoke thoroughly of political freedom and religious freedom, considering the two inseparable. As one literary historian summarized in his book, “Failure to preserve those liberties meant far more than a loss of political rights; it signaled the end of New England’s special covenant with God.”2 For the Puritans, the inseparable union between political ideas and religious ideas solidified a significant commitment to the nation’s freedom.

The political sermons also served as one of the most essential forums for communication of these ideas. While pamphlets and newspapers were growing in popularity, no public forum could match the sermon for “sheer public exposure and influence.” Probably no public forum even today exerts such a strong influence on the minds of the people as did the religious political sermons of the Puritans.

In speaking on the preservation of freedom, the duties of civil rulers were explained from the Bible, the revolution was compared to Israel’s ancient trials, and specific examples of the British extortions were outlined as violating the English constitution. These ideas presented showed that those religious Puritans had not only a command on Biblical teaching, but a firm grasp upon their constitutional rights. Their ability to view their situation from a Biblical historical perspective intensified the support of the cause, increased the interest and understanding, and allowed a more thorough analysis of the problems in general. This was indispensable when it came time to write and publicize the Declaration of Independence.

Finally, I analyzed the statement that had initially enticed my interest in this project in the first place. Page Smith discussed the Declaration of Independence from both a religious standpoint and an Enlightenment standpoint. He said, “The Declaration of Independence almost perfectly represents the moment at which those two very distinct traditions, the city of man and the city of God, joined forces.” Most historians read the Declaration of Independence as solely an Enlightenment document. The crux of my research was to support Smith’s analysis of the document. However, my stance is biased since I did not examine both sides of the issue. Mainly what I found was that the question was much more complex than I had first imagined. In fact, I developed more new questions for myself than I found answers.

My research proved to be one small stepping stone toward opening the door of a religious analysis of the Declaration of Independence. However, the debate is of vital importance as the effects may very well determine which direction this country interprets that it should head. I believe that if either side is disproportionately emphasized, then much of our country’s theoretical and theological foundation will be sacrificed. The Puritan political sermons stand as the greatest support of the religious influence behind the Declaration of Independence. While pure proof of influence may be impossible, my desire was to enhance the argument that we cannot read the Declaration of Independence single-mindedly.

References

1. Sandoz, Ellis, ed. Political Sermons of the American Founding Era: 1730-1805. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund. 1991, 301-560. While Sandoz’s
   recent compilation is in many respects “one of the most useful collections of sources available” for the study of the political sermons, most
   of them are not available in other collections. Thus, these sermons have avoided much outside analysis.
2. Stout, Harry S. The New England Soul: Preaching and Religious Culture in Colonial New England. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
   1986, 265.,
3. Ibid., 260.
4. Sherwood, Samuel. Scriptural Instructions to Civil Rulers. New-Haven, 1774.
5. Sherwood, Samuel. The Church’s Flight into the Wilderness. New York, 1776.
6. Almon, J. A Constitutional Answer to Wesley’s Calm Address. London, 1775; Witherspoon, John. The Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Men. Princeton, 1776.
7. Smith, Page. Rediscovering Christianity. New York: St. Martins Press. 1994, 110.