The Foundations of our Fathers
The founders were a knowledgeable and learned group of men. At the heading of the creation of our most defining document in all of American history, Benjamin Franklin used these words in front of the distinguished representatives at the Constitutional Convention - “We have gone back to ancient history for models of government and examined the different forms of those Republics...And we have viewed modern states all around Europe.” Of the 15,000 political writings of our founders, our political scientists of today have studied them to compose an idea of what political authority the founding fathers utilized. In essence, where the founding fathers gathered their ideas from. So, from the 15,000 documents, the modern day scholars found 3,154 quotes.
Now our history books will tell you that the founders basis was solely and overwhelmingly taken from the enlightenment thinkers of the 16-17th Century. (But then they will also tell you that the enlightenment thinkers rebelled against religion). Let us look at this. The percentage of quotations from enlightenment thinkers runs like this. (1) Baron Charles Montesquieu at 8.3%, (2) Sir William Blackstone at 7.9%, (3) John Locke at 2.9%, (4) David Hume at 2.7%. Other philosophers quoted were Plutarch, Beccaria, Cato, De Lolme, and Puffendorf: utilizing both ancient and more recent philosophers of their time. But the four numbered above were the most frequently quoted besides one. There was one that was cited more than the rest, but I will get to that later. First. Montesquieu’s impact.
Montesquieu - The Division of Powers - Montesquieu believed in checks and balances, to keep the power of governing from corrupting those governing.
“When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person... there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws to execute them in a tyrannical manner. Again, there is no liberty if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers. Were it joined with the legislative, the life and liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary control; for the judge would then be the legislator.” ~Montesquieu
The most interesting thing though, is where Montesquieu got his ideas from...
“The Christian religion, which ordains that men should love each other, would without doubt have every nation blest with the best civil, the best political laws; because these, next to this religion, are the greatest good that men can give and receive.” ~Montesquieu
William Blackstone is one that I have keen interest in. He was more of a contemporary of the founding fathers. His “Commentaries on the Laws of England” sold more copies in America then it did in England itself and his contribution to the founding era should be without repute. Blackstone’s commentary was THE law book of America for over a century. So much so, that Thomas Jefferson once quipped that American lawyers used Blackstone’s commentaries with the same reverence and dedication as Muslims used the Qur’an.
So what is the basis of Blackstone’s Commentaries? The whole of his political philosophy revolved around the idea of “The Law of Nature and Nature’s God”. This is where the phrase “the law of nature” came into popularity. Where does this “Law of Nature” come from?
“Man, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the law of his Creator, for he is entirely a dependent being... And consequently, as man depends absolutely upon his Maker for everything, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his Maker’s will. This will of his Maker is called the law of nature.” ~Blackstone
Where do we find this “Law of Nature”? It is observed. In nature. But that is not all, there is also the law of revelation.
“The doctrines thus delivered we call the revealed or divine law and they are to be found only in the Holy Scriptures... Upon these two foundations, the law of nature and the law of revelation, depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should be suffered to contradict these.” ~Blackstone
Imagine what would happen to our country today if Yale and Harvard taught this in their law schools!
From Locke the founders utilized his ideas of Social Compact - “join and unite into a community for their comfortable, safe, and peaceful living one amongst another in a secure enjoyment of their properties and a greater security against any that are not of it.” Locke, far from being anti-religious, also encouraged the Law of Nature. - “be conformable to the Law of Nature, i.e. to the will of God.” - and the Law of Revelation - “Laws human must be made according to the general law of Nature, and without contradiction to any positive law of Scripture, otherwise they are ill made.” ~Locke
Hume is the odd ball in this endeavor. The founding fathers insulted him him as an “atheist, deist, and libertine” (John Adams), and a “bungling lawgiver” (James Madison). Far from emulating David Hume, the founders found him disdainful. They said of him that he was ever “endeavoring to mislead by either the suppression of a truth or by giving it a false coloring.” (Thomas Jefferson). So it is clear that in this instance, the fourth major enlightened thinker was quoted merely to refute bad philosophy.
But we are missing the major, number one quoted resource for the founding fathers. Overwhelmingly the top most quoted source - that was quoted four times more than Montesquieu and Blackstone, twelve times more than Locke, for a total percentage of the quotes accounting for 34% direct quotes of the political writings of the founding fathers - being the Holy Scriptures. That is right. The Bible. Take that to the courts.
Jared Williams
Now our history books will tell you that the founders basis was solely and overwhelmingly taken from the enlightenment thinkers of the 16-17th Century. (But then they will also tell you that the enlightenment thinkers rebelled against religion). Let us look at this. The percentage of quotations from enlightenment thinkers runs like this. (1) Baron Charles Montesquieu at 8.3%, (2) Sir William Blackstone at 7.9%, (3) John Locke at 2.9%, (4) David Hume at 2.7%. Other philosophers quoted were Plutarch, Beccaria, Cato, De Lolme, and Puffendorf: utilizing both ancient and more recent philosophers of their time. But the four numbered above were the most frequently quoted besides one. There was one that was cited more than the rest, but I will get to that later. First. Montesquieu’s impact.
Montesquieu - The Division of Powers - Montesquieu believed in checks and balances, to keep the power of governing from corrupting those governing.
“When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person... there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws to execute them in a tyrannical manner. Again, there is no liberty if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers. Were it joined with the legislative, the life and liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary control; for the judge would then be the legislator.” ~Montesquieu
The most interesting thing though, is where Montesquieu got his ideas from...
“The Christian religion, which ordains that men should love each other, would without doubt have every nation blest with the best civil, the best political laws; because these, next to this religion, are the greatest good that men can give and receive.” ~Montesquieu
William Blackstone is one that I have keen interest in. He was more of a contemporary of the founding fathers. His “Commentaries on the Laws of England” sold more copies in America then it did in England itself and his contribution to the founding era should be without repute. Blackstone’s commentary was THE law book of America for over a century. So much so, that Thomas Jefferson once quipped that American lawyers used Blackstone’s commentaries with the same reverence and dedication as Muslims used the Qur’an.
So what is the basis of Blackstone’s Commentaries? The whole of his political philosophy revolved around the idea of “The Law of Nature and Nature’s God”. This is where the phrase “the law of nature” came into popularity. Where does this “Law of Nature” come from?
“Man, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the law of his Creator, for he is entirely a dependent being... And consequently, as man depends absolutely upon his Maker for everything, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his Maker’s will. This will of his Maker is called the law of nature.” ~Blackstone
Where do we find this “Law of Nature”? It is observed. In nature. But that is not all, there is also the law of revelation.
“The doctrines thus delivered we call the revealed or divine law and they are to be found only in the Holy Scriptures... Upon these two foundations, the law of nature and the law of revelation, depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should be suffered to contradict these.” ~Blackstone
Imagine what would happen to our country today if Yale and Harvard taught this in their law schools!
From Locke the founders utilized his ideas of Social Compact - “join and unite into a community for their comfortable, safe, and peaceful living one amongst another in a secure enjoyment of their properties and a greater security against any that are not of it.” Locke, far from being anti-religious, also encouraged the Law of Nature. - “be conformable to the Law of Nature, i.e. to the will of God.” - and the Law of Revelation - “Laws human must be made according to the general law of Nature, and without contradiction to any positive law of Scripture, otherwise they are ill made.” ~Locke
Hume is the odd ball in this endeavor. The founding fathers insulted him him as an “atheist, deist, and libertine” (John Adams), and a “bungling lawgiver” (James Madison). Far from emulating David Hume, the founders found him disdainful. They said of him that he was ever “endeavoring to mislead by either the suppression of a truth or by giving it a false coloring.” (Thomas Jefferson). So it is clear that in this instance, the fourth major enlightened thinker was quoted merely to refute bad philosophy.
But we are missing the major, number one quoted resource for the founding fathers. Overwhelmingly the top most quoted source - that was quoted four times more than Montesquieu and Blackstone, twelve times more than Locke, for a total percentage of the quotes accounting for 34% direct quotes of the political writings of the founding fathers - being the Holy Scriptures. That is right. The Bible. Take that to the courts.
Jared Williams
