Carpenter's Hall housed the 1st Congress
Premise
Robert Aitken was commissioned by the First Congress of the United States of America in 1782 to print a copy of the scriptures in English. Prior to this, the Bible was printed in many languages (French, German,Russian to name a few) in the Colonies, but the King forbade the Colonies to print a copy in English.
Upon establishing our freedom, our national leadership determined to set a course for our nation that was Christian in basis and godly in direction. This Bible was printed for the purposes of our schools: to have a reliable and accurate text of the English language for study. If this is the foundational standard for study it should be in the hands of each chief educator in our nation.
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 Although there were a number of copies originally made, only about 30 survive today.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.
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