2) The Golden Rule
3) Acquaintance with other teachings of Jesus
d. His Crucifixion
e. A recognition of his Resurrection
9. An understanding of the Gospel
a. The reality of and the way to heaven
b. God’s judgment upon sin and the pains of hell
c. Man’s spiritual nature
d. The difference between true and false religion
e. The importance of faith and unbelief
f. The need for justification before God
g. The forgiveness of sins by God, and man’s repentance
10. God’s providential care of his people
11. The life of the Christian and the work of the church
a. The work of ministers of the Gospel
b. The importance of missionary work to non-Christians
c. The Christian practice of forgiveness
d. The importance of the church, the clergy, and worship
e. A call for Christian conduct that is pleasing to God’s nature
12. An ultimate hope
a. The Second Advent
b. The blessings of heaven
c. The millennial state
d. Eternal life
Would a person who affirmed all of these things be called a Deist or a Christian? The answer is obvious. What is listed above is a simple, but fairly full, outline of the basics of the Christian faith. Apparently it has not been so obvious in recent years that Washington affirmed all of these things! His simple beliefs, written throughout his papers, and his consistent pattern of worship in the Christian tradition preserved by the Anglican Church, reflected all of these Christian teachings. There is simply no honest way that a man who believed such things can be called a Deist. We will now demonstrate our claim that these beliefs composed the faith and practice—a Christian worldview—of our Christian founding father.
WASHINGTON’S STATEMENTS THAT SUPPORT A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
1. GOD’S EXISTENCE
In our chapter on Washington’s view of God, we found that he clearly believed in God and used the word “God” some 140 times in his writings. Furthermore, Washington used approximately 90 different respectful titles of God (some from the Bible, some not—Almighty, Great Governor of the Universe, Lord of Armies). On top of this, he used the word “Providence” approximately 270 times. Like the preachers of his day, Providence was either another name for God, or referred to the work of God in human history.
2. AN AFFIRMATION OF THE THREE PERSONS OF THE TRINITY
This too was touched on briefly in the chapter on Washington’s view of God. We will now consider further evidence.
In his diary on April 3, 1768, we read, “Went to Pohick Church.”2 April 3rd that year was Easter Sunday. This is significant in this context, since we also know that he attended church eight weeks later on May 29th of the same year. His diary entry for May 29th says, “Went to St. Paul’s Church and Dined at my Brother’s.”3 When Washington attended church on May 29th, eight weeks after Easter, it was Trinity Sunday. What did Washington pray when he was present for the Trinity Sunday liturgy? The 1662 Book of Common Prayer provided these words of praise for the Trinity:
Trinity-Sunday.
The Collect.
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of thy Divine Majesty to worship the Unity; We beseech thee, that thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.4
The scripture readings for Trinity Sunday included Revelation 4, where John receives a vision of the triune God being worshiped in heaven. It also includes John 3, the famous evangelistic verses of Jesus where he speaks of the necessity of being “born again,” and where Jesus promises “eternal life” for “whosoever believeth in him.”
3. GOD’S DECREE OR PLAN
We have devoted an entire chapter on George Washington and Providence, in which we demonstrate from his own writings that Providence for Washington is the God of the Bible, or God’s powerful plan being worked out in human history. Washington believed in God and counseled others to trust in him and to submit to his will, even when circumstances were difficult. Providence was the personal Divine Father, as we see in his words of consolation to Pierre L’Enfant: “While I sincerely condole with you on the loss of your good father; you will permit me to remind you, as an inexhaustible subject of consolation, that there is a good Providence which will never fail to take care of his Children.”5 Providence is also, in Washington’s mind, the sovereign plan of God that accomplishes his decrees. In this case, Washington speaks of Providence with the impersonal “it.” He used the same type of language commonly employed by eighteenth century American Christians, as seen in these examples:
• On March 1, 1778, he wrote his childhood friend (turned Tory), Bryan Fairfax: “The determinations of Providence are all ways wise; often inscrutable, and though its decrees appear to bear hard upon us at times is nevertheless meant for gracious purposes...”6
• He wrote Elizabeth Parke Custis Law (on March 30, 1796): “Mrs. Lear was good and amiable, and your Society will feel the loss of her. But the Dispensations of Providence are as inscrutable, as they are wise and uncontroulable. It is the duty therefore of Religion and Philosophy, to submit to its decrees, with as little repining as the sensibility of our natures, will permit.”7
• He wrote to his nephew William Augustine Washington (February 27, 1798): “...these are the decrees of an Allwise Providence, against whose dictates the skill, or foresight of man can be of no avail; it is incumbent upon him therefore, to submit with as little repining as the sensibility of his nature will admit.”8
