The Revolution, Sermons & After Years
The Revolutionary War
Once the war started in April 1775, many men took up arms to fight for their independence. Some of those men were Reverends. An example of this would be James Caldwell, who was called the “Rebel Priest” by the British. 14 The reason for his title was that the British thought he was a rebellious Presbyterian. 15 During the war, he would go on to help the Patriots in The Battle of Springfield. They would prevent the British from reaching Morristown. 16
Back during this time, there were many denominations such as Presbyterian, Protestant, Anglican, and Puritans. In the above paragraph, some men who took up arms were Reverends. However, others who fought were regular men from other religious denominations. A handful of religious men would be in Washington's army. He believed that religion was a key for maintaining a disciplined army as well as morale among them. 17 In fact, Washington himself was religious; being in the Anglican denomination. 18 With many religious believers in the war, Washington would be around and work alongside them. Some men had different religious beliefs than his own.
14 Felts, David J. “250th Series: Chaplains and the Revolutionary War.” MASSAR, November 24, 2020. https://massar.org/chaplains-and-the-revolutionary-war/.
15 Ibid., 19
16 “Rev. James Caldwell.” Union Township Historical History. https://www.unionnjhistory.com/james-and-hannah-caldwell.
17 “Religious Freedom.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/religion/religious-freedom.
18 “8 Facts about George Washington and Religion.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/religion/8-facts-about-george-washington-and-religion.
Sermons
Sermons during the time of the war preached against the injustice and tyranny of the British. Many sermons would become political. These tried to help motivate and unify soldiers and colonists during this difficult time. Sermons would come from people like Rev. Samuel Langdon, Rev. Moses Mather, Rev. Samuel Stillman, and even Thomas Paine. This is a small excerpt from one of his sermons, “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.” 19 The excerpt was from his sermon titled The Crisis. It was written in December of 1776.
19 Hardiman, Mary Anne. “Sermons During the Revolutionary Era.” mfm.morningstarministries.org, February 1, 2020. https://mfm.morningstarministries.org/sermons-during-revolutionary-era.
After the War
After the war was over, American life changed in many ways. A few of these changes adopted from Natural Rights and the Enlightenment. However, that would not be all. Thomas Jefferson drafted a document titled An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom. “...yet we are free to declare,” Jefferson writes, “and do declare that the rights hereby asserted, are of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present or to narrow its operation, such act will be an infringement of natural right.” 20
Religious ministers also allowed African American people to attend worship services. Yet, this change was brought by anger by slaveholders. As Douglas Egerton writes, “The unstated but natural consequence of such a view was the belief that a world that held fast to racial and class distinctions was a world manifestly not in keeping with God’s will.” 21 Slaves were able to hear worship and the Gospel from those inviting them to Church services.
20 Jefferson, Thomas. “An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom (1786).” Encyclopedia Virginia, December 7, 2020. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/primary-documents/an-act-for-establishing-religious-freedom-1786/.
21 Egerton, Douglas R. Gabriel’s Rebellion: The Virginia slave conspiracies of 1800 and 1802. Chapel Hill: Univ. of North Carolina Press, 2003. Pg. 18