Carpenter’s Hall housed the 1st Congress
Premise
The Revolutionary War victory earned our freedom from tyranny in England. It officially lasted eight years and 137 days. The fight for freedom began April 19, 1775 (engagements at Lexington and Concord mark the day). Although September 3, 1783 is the day the treaty was signed, hostilities essentially ended October 19, 1781 with Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown. The Commons in Britain voted to end hostilities with the colonies in April 1782. Robert Aitken was commissioned to print a copy of the scriptures in English. Why are these dates and this history important with respect to the Aitkens Bible? Simple really, the Aitkens Bible was approved and paid for by by the First Congress of the United States of America September 12, 1782. This means that within 5 months after Britain resigned the conflict and before the Treaty of Paris was signed, our national leadership was exercising it’s newly earned freedom. Under King George we were not permitted to print Bibles in English. We printed them in other languages, but not in English. This simple act, to print bibles in English “for our schools, our families, and our public worship” was one of the first actions by our new nation to exercise Article one of the Bill of Rights which would become the First Amendment to the Constitution.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
This one document embodies all the main thrusts in this amendment. First, there is no respecting of an establishment of religion. This Bible, printed for a newly established Christian nation, respected no specific sect, denomination or cult. It was simply Christian as our founding was Christian. Second, it prohibited no free exercise of any religion, Christian or otherwise. Third, it does not curtail, but exercised the freedom of speech we now enjoy as we were unable to print in our native tongue before. Third, freedom of the press – the press shall run off copies of this sacred tome as it sees fit. There is no longer threat of arrest, fines or oppression for printing a Bible in English. That act alone was something many in history paid for with their lives. Fourth, the right of the people to assemble in their place of worship is encouraged. Fifth, the memorial that led to this printing was a grievance that no such document existed in our new republic. It received redress and corrective action was taken in our newly established government. Statesman printed a Bible for their people.
Commission Page 1
Commission Page 2
History
The Petition
Beginning in 7/7/1777 the Congress (then the Continental Congress) was petitioned (see image to right – transcription here) to print a Bible in English for the people and specifically “for our schools and families, and for the publick worship of God in our churches (original petition submitted by Reverends Francis Alison, John Ewing and William Marshalle).”
Because of the demands of the war with England, the Committee formed by John Adams, Daniel Roberdeau and Jonathan Bayard Smith was unable to produce a resolution.
Another petition was forwarded in 1780 but the war still raged. Finally in 1782, after the war was won and freedom earned, the Chaplain’s of congress recognized the great need for an English copy of the scriptures. Known as the “Bible of the Revolution” by many, this Bible was printed in Philadelphia in 1782 prior to copy right laws. We can presume that Robert Aitken used the 1762 or 1769 edition of the King James Version of the Bible in their original run. Although there were a number of copies originally made, only about 30 survive today.
Of note, in 1808 Jane Aitken, daughter of Robert Aitken, became the first woman to ever print a Bible. She printed a copy of the scriptures translated into English from the Septuagint by Charles Thompson the First secretary of the U.S. Congress (1774-1789). This was the first, non-King James version in English ever printed in America.
With the dismissal of the armies in 1783 Dr. John Rogers of the First Presbyterian Church of New York suggested to General George Washington that a copy of this Bible be given to each discharged soldier. Though the suggestion was too late to be completed, General Washington is reported to have said, “It would have pleased me well, if congress had been pleased to make such an important present to the brave fellows who have done so much for the security of their country’s rights and establishment.”
Principle
Re-education concerning our nation’s Christian foundations and our schools direction.
Goal
Our immediate goal is to provide a copy of the Aitken Bible, and the commission thereof, to every principal. Beginning in our city of Lander, Wyoming, branching out to our principals in every county, then the state as a whole is the first effort. We will branch out to surrounding states in the same fashion covering the region and ultimately reach the nation’s education leadership. Our chief educators should know our founders standards as they have strayed drastically from them. A secondary goal is to reach out to the elected officials of our schools in the same fashion. This includes School Superintendents and School Boards across the nation. We understand that this is a huge undertaking. However, it is certainly possible because, “With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26)
Your Part
Quite simply, we need the funds to perform this task. Mountain View Baptist Church is unable to fund this project alone as we are but a small ministry. Each Bible sent will be a direct result of your donations. We have been working with www.greatsite.com (an ancient text dealer). We plan to order in lots of 100 (minimum) to reduce these costs. We want to drive the cost of each Bible below $35, plus shipping. Any donation is welcomed, however we currently estimate the entire package will cost $45 per Bible to deliver to each principal. As a special offer, with a purchase of 10 or more packages (donations of $450 or more) you will receive your very own copy of the Bible package being sent to these educators. All donations are tax exempt.
Recent Blessings (updated 5/10/12)
Pastor Tim and Mrs. Senter were privileged to meet with Cindy Hill May 7,2012. The meeting was a blessing. Mrs. Hill was a wonderful encouragement and recommended our materials be oriented to target curriculum standards and objectives. On behalf of Mountain View Baptist, we want to thank Mrs. Hill and her staff for their superb support and the gracious hospitality they showed us.
Pastor Senter has been privileged to present this ministry in a number of churches in Wyoming. The response to this ministry has been overwhelming with comments such as, “We’re so grateful your doing this.” Others have said, “I never knew our government was so biblically oriented.” Some have noted, “We’re pleased someone has found a way to get the true word of God into our schools and tied to specific course requirements.” We at Mountain View are humbled by the response and look forward to continuing this ministry in Wyoming and onward to the Lord’s glory. Thank you all for your wonderful support. Please pray that the Word of God would, ” not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.” (Is 55:11b) This promise is the root of our faith in this project, that God will glorify himself through our humble submission and obedience.
Final Comment
The supposed “Separation of Church and State” philosophy in no way indicates exclusion one from the other. It never did for our founding fathers and it should not in our government today. Both church and state are free entities. The phrase includes the individual right within each entity to bring both to bear in operation. Our faith is just as much a part of our politics as we have faith in politics (the latter waning due to a hyper-emphasis on secularism). Many today argue that the elimination of faith from politics has promoted the grandest societal degradation of our national fabric we have ever experienced. Mountain View Baptist Church agrees with this assessment and endeavors to influence national leadership for Christ. This is our humble contribution.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click below to donate:
Donations can also be made by sending check or money order to:
Mountain View Baptist Church
1290 E Main Street
Lander, WY 82520
Encouraging in Christ - We at Mountain View Baptist want to encourage all believers and donors to this project to continue their support in bringing our country back to its foundations. Our hope is this: that all who donate will support their local public school principals, teachers and administrators when they recognize the need for and decide to change. Change in this case is a shift to reintroduce truth in American history. Upon receipt of this gift, a principal may recognize a need to introduce this as a historic study in class, promote this as a study in journalism, integrate this in a study of American History, Civics or Social Studies classes. When this takes place and the winds of progressivism begin to grow in opposition, we need to support our educational system in teaching the truth of our history. We need to encourage them to study the original documents themselves and see the God that permeates them. Please support the public schools where possible; be ever ready to stand behind an educator who wants to teach the truths of our history, not the revisions of our today.
Historic Perspective- John Adams had no question concerning the pure inspiration of the Holy Scriptures as the very word of God given to man. Here are a few quotes from his writings:
The idea of infidelity [a disbelief in the inspiration of the Scriptures or the Divine origin of Christianity - ( Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), s.v. ³infidelity.²)] cannot be treated with too much resentment or too much horror. The man who can think of it with patience is a traitor in his heart and ought to be execrated [denounced] as one who adds the deepest hypocrisy to the blackest treason. ( John Adams, Papers of John Adams, Robert J. Taylor, editor (Cambridge: The Belknap Press, 1983),Vol. 6, p. 348, to James Warren on August 4, 1778.)
The Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy that ever was conceived upon earth. . . . The curses against fornication and adultery, and the prohibition of every wanton glance or libidinous ogle at a woman, I believe to be the only system that ever did or ever will preserve a republic in the world. . . . I say then that national morality never was and never can be preserved without the utmost purity and chastity in women; and without national morality a republican government cannot be maintained. ( John Adams, Old Family Letters, Alexander Biddle, editor (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1892), pp. 127-128, to Benjamin Rush on February 2, 1807.)
Comments