Aw’d by no titles—undefil’d by lust—
Free without faction, obstinately just—
Too wise to learn, form Machiavel’s school,
That truth and perfidy by turns should rule.
Warm’d by Religion’s sacred, genuine ray,
Which points to future bliss, th’ unerring way;
Yet ne’er controul’d by Superstition’s laws,
The worst of tyrants in the noblest cause.4
Washington would later speak in his Inaugural Address of the “sacred fire of liberty”:
Since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained: And since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.5
Was Washington’s “sacred fire” properly anticipated by Morse’s and Humphrey’s couplet?:
Warm’d by Religion’s sacred, genuine ray,
Which points to future bliss, th’ unerring way.
Recent authors will hear none of this and have declared an emphatic no. Willard Randall writes, “Washington was not a deeply religious man.”6 Douglas Southall Freeman says, “He had believed that a God directed his path, but he had not been particularly ardent in his faith.”7 James Thomas Flexner states that “Washington ...avoided, as was his deist custom, the word ‘God.’”8 Judging from these writers, Washington could hardly be called a “godly leader.” But our conclusion must be drawn from the actual words of Washington and the religious leaders who encountered him. When this is done, we believe that the evidence leads us in a different direction than that of recent historians Randall, Freeman, and Flexner, and what appear to be their unsubstantiated generalizations. By contrast, in addition to being one of Washington’s closest military aides in the war, David Humphreys was living with the Washington family at Mount Vernon as he wrote his summation of Washington’s daily life, which also had Washington’s personal approval.9
To begin, let us turn our attention to Washington’s remarkable “Circular” that he personally signed and sent to each of the thirteen state governors, who together had just won America’s independence.
A LETTER TO THIRTEEN GOVERNORS: WASHINGTON’S CONFESSION OF FAITH
As the war was coming to an end, there were several issues that troubled Washington. We just saw in our last chapter that there was the deep concern for just compensation for the soldiers after their long sacrifice to win independence. But Washington also had another deep concern. This was the seeming inefficiency and sometimes divisive character of the government established by the Articles of Confederation.
George Washington’s watermark
Each state governed itself with such autonomy that, at times, the whole nation suffered. Out of this realization, Washington became one of the earliest proponents for a new kind of government with a more powerful, centralized Congress. His vision ultimately helped to produce the Constitutional Convention. This is the backdrop for his “Circular to the States.” The circular essentially laid out what Washington saw as necessary for an independent America, namely, a union of states under one federal head, a sacred regard for public justice, a proper “peace establishment,” and a disposition and temperament among the citizenry that would allow the individual to subjugate their own personal interest in the interest of the larger community. But what is fascinating for our purposes is not just that these concerns of Washington appear in his farewell circular letter to the thirteen governors, but that the entire letter is couched in a theological message. For us, Washington’s farewell letter to the governors is his official confession of faith, or what we might call Washington’s public theology.
Washington’s “Circular to the States” is as close to a statement of religious faith that he ever produced. Given that it was sent to every state, it was clearly intended by him to be his understanding of an American statement of religious faith. There are some thirty references to spiritual realities: heaven’s favor; final blessing; gratitude and rejoicing; lot assigned by Providence; moral point of light; a vast Tract of Continent ... all the various soils and climates of the World...peculiarly designated by Providence; heaven crowned all its other blessings; above all the pure and benign light of revelation; not ignorance and superstition; the rights of man; the cup of blessing; stand or fall; confirmation or lapse; a blessing or curse (used twice); aggravated vengeance of heaven; begging daily bread; to implore the divine benediction; earnest prayer; God would have you; holy protection; incline hearts; brotherly affection; love for one another; graciously be pleased; to do justice; love mercy; demean with charity; humility and pacific temper of mind; the Divine Author of our blessed religion; humble imitation of whose example; a happy nation.10
The circular, or what we might call, “Washington’s Confession of Faith,” gives a fair summary of Washington’s religion. He had said, “in politics, as in religion my tenets are few and simple.”11 These few and simple religious principles clearly included:
God—“God would have you”
Creation— “a vast Tract of Continent...all the various soils and climates of the World...peculiarly designated by Providence”
Providence—“lot assigned by Providence, designated by Providence”
Deity of Christ—“Divine Author”
Revelation—“pure and benign light of revelation”
Fall—“stand or fall, confirmation or lapse”
Sin—“blessing or curse”
God’s Grace—“favor, Heaven crowned all its blessings, incline hearts, graciously be pleased”
Christ—“Our blessed Religion, the Divine Author, whose [Christ’s] example, daily bread [the Lord’s Prayer], cup of blessing [the Eucharist]”
Worship—“gratitude and rejoicing”
Education—“not ignorance and superstition”
Sanctification—“Holy keeping,” “brotherly affection,” “love for one another”
Moral Light—“blessing or curse,” “justice,” “mercy,” “demean with love,” “humility,” “peace”
Prayer—“earnest prayer,” “final blessing,” “implore the divine benediction”
Civil and Religious Liberty—“rights of mankind,” “happy nation”
Heaven—“Heaven’s favor,” “Heaven crowns”
Judgment—“the aggravated vengeance of Heaven”
The few and simple principles of Washington’s religion when summed up are a statement of mere Christianity. Notice too, that while it has been argued that George Washington was unwilling to partake of Christian communion, he even quoted here the biblical phrase that speaks of communion —“the cup of blessing.” This was the most public letter in Washington’s career to this point, and it was replete with Christian theological references and allusions to scripture. Washington’s explicitly Christian and public theological affirmations undercut the entire structure of Deistic thought. How is it possible then to conceive of Washington as a Deist?
