JOHN Locke
How one philosopher conceived America
But what’s fascinating is where John Locke got By Dr. Rick Chromey his own inspiration and ideas. He was an influential voice in the minds of In John Locke’s two “treatises” on government, our Founding Fathers. His writings significantly he referenced biblical characters, ideas and passagimpacted the Declaration of Independence, U.S. es over 1,500 times. In his First Treatise, he systemConstitution, Bill of Rights and other charter atically attacked arguments for the divine right of documents. Nearly every cherished America value kings using Holy Scripture. In his Second Treatise, can be traced to him. Locke outlined the natural rights of humans and a Ironically, this man lived a full generation before social contract rooted to charity, duty and tolermost of our Founders were even born. Nevertheless, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and ance. Again, using biblical principles and ScripJohn Madison revered him. James Monroe attribture, he laid the foundation for America’s most uted our constitutional philosophy, including the cherished social values, including representational three branches of government, to his works. Noah government, private property rights, freedom of Webster cited him as foundational to American religion, the right to protest, and the “pursuit of educational principles. life, liberty and happiness.” Who could possibly guide our Founding Fathers Essentially, America was built on a foundation of from the grave? It was none other than the English Dr. Rick Chromey biblical doctrine, using the writings of philosopher philosopher John Locke (1632-1704). John Locke. But there’s still one more thing. Locke As the “father of liberalism,” Locke developed social contract felt his novel government functioned best through God’s people. theory – an idea our Founders readily fashioned into a ConstituIf you want to see good government, he wrote, just look to Old tional principle known as “the consent of the governed.” Thomas Testament Israel or the New Testament church. Jefferson later concluded that “Bacon, Locke and Newton...[were] It’s why many unique features of our Constitution – including the three greatest men that have ever lived.”(1) separation of powers, religious freedom and, again, the consent of Indeed, he was. America as we know it might not have existed the people – are biblical concepts for a religious nation. without John Locke’s insight. Forty years ago a group of political scientists studied over 15,000 And yet what’s overlooked is Locke’s influence as a theologian. Founding Era writings to determine “sources” for the establishAnd while some historians classify him as a Deist, that rendering ment of American government. The number one source by a is inaccurate. Many of Locke’s religious works were penned at the wide margin was the Bible. Nearly one-third of the quotes in our end of his life (in the 1690s) when his theological positions clearly gelled. In Locke’s case, he embraced a Protestant (Calvinist) Chris- Founding Fathers’ writings were directly connected to biblical themes, persons or Scripture verses (four times more than any tian perspective. other individual, including John Locke). From his later writings, we can deduce a theologically orthodox This is why John Adams noted, “The general Principles, on and biblically conservative faith. Locke penned an expository comwhich the Fathers [achieved] Independence, were...the general mentary on Paul’s epistles (published post-humous, 1705-1707). Principles of Christianity.”(2) Similarly, his son John Quincy Adams He also compiled Common Place: Book to the Holy Bible (1697), an concluded, “The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerearly topical Bible. stone of human government upon the first precepts of ChristianJohn Locke battled intellectual and cultural attacks on Christiity.”(3) anity in The Reasonableness of Christianity as Delivered in the Scriptures It’s why the patriot Patrick Henry advocated, “The great pillars (1695), which included two sequels: Vindication of the Reasonableof all government and of social life [are] virtue, morality, and ness of Christianity (1695) and A Second Vindication (1697). In these religion.”(4) Or that clergyman and geographer Jedidiah Morse apologetic writings, Locke argued the Bible was verbally inspired warned: “To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that by God and miracles were His authoritative Divine stamps. Locke claimed the entire Bible was true and “reasonable” to the “enlight- degree of civil freedom and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys…Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall ened” mind. Nevertheless, he encouraged tolerance to all views be overthrown, our present republican forms of government – and save one. Locke felt atheism (because it denied and rejected God) naturally invited social decay and civic chaos. all the blessings which flow from them – must fall with them.”(5) Our Founding Fathers were particularly captivated by Locke’s America was essentially fabricated by John Locke’s ideas to be a Two Treatises of Government (1689). In its 400 pages, Locke outlined nation rooted in biblical principle. the mechanisms for how civil government operated. Our FoundIt remains a novel concept for those who ponder and embrace it. n ers channeled Locke in both the Declaration and Constitution to forge a democratic republic. This novel politic featured a “social Dr. Rick Chromey is an author, historian and theologian who speaks and contract” where “we the people” elected leaders to represent with writes on matters of religion, culture, history, technology and leadership. He’s our consent. Consequently, America required no king or pope to the founder and president of MANNA! Educational Services International lord over us. It’s why we dissolved ties with England. (www.mannasolutions.org). Rick and his wife Linda live in Star, ID. Sources: From a 1789 letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to John Trumbull commissioning portraits of Francis Bacon, John Locke and Isaac Newton: https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tr11a.html#obj11 (2) The Adams-Jefferson Letters, edited by Lester J. Cappon (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1959): p. 340. (3) John Quincy Adams, An Oration Delivered Before the Inhabitants of the Town of Newburyport at Their Request on the Sixty-First Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1837 (Newburyport: Charles Whipple, 1837), pp. 5-6. (4) Patrick Henry, Patrick Henry: Life, Correspondence and Speeches, William Wirt Henry, editor (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1891), Vol. II, p. 592, to Archibald Blair on January 8, 1799. (5) Jedidiah Morse, A Sermon, Exhibiting the Present Dangers and Consequent Duties of the Citizens of the United States of America, Delivered at Charlestown, April 25, 1799, The Day of the National Fast (MA: Printed by Samuel Etheridge, 1799), p. 9. (1)
26 July / August 2021 | Christian Living
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