Is America A Christian Nation, Part XV, How the Articles of Confederation Transfer God's Authority to the Constitution

In the last installment of Is America A Christian Nation, using the expressions of the Declaration of Independence we learned how authority flows from the principles of that agreement to each successive agreement.  For authority to convey from those principles, the actions of the people of the United States of America must follow those principles without exception.  For example, because principle #4 cited previously offers the universal truth that government derives it powers from the consent of the people, then by consent of those same people, an American government receives authority.  That is how American authority conveys.  

Consent to unified government first presented in 1781 as the original 13 states ratified the Articles of Confederation, offered for ratification in 1777. That agreement conveyed certain basic authority to a unified government.  One argued power of that government was to ensure that the union remain intact in perpetuity.  That fact is certified in the following stanza, proclaiming the agreement to a perpetual union and who agreed to reside in that union:

Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts-bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

A perpetual union is one that does not contemplate its own end.  An agreement in perpetuity is an agreement that therefore does not end.  Even an agreement to end the agreement must be a part of the agreement in the first place  And this is why the Articles of Confederation is still in force today.  But by certain provisions in that agreement, certain of the principles agreed and ratified in 1781 have simply changed.  But the changes are indeed authorized in the Articles of Confederation, which changes demonstrate that the articles are still in force.  If the Articles are not in force, then any authority that might have been used to authorize the change that came in the form of the Constitution died at the same time the Articles of Confederation died.  Fortunately, that has not happened.

But getting back to the matter at hand, determining without question whether America is a Christian Nation, authorized therefore by the scriptures of the Bible including the New Testament, and therefore indeed Jesus Christ, whereas having to 'back in' to that conclusion in our study of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation state the only conclusions available to draw, and that agreement states these conclusions boldly and without equivocation, offering 

Whereas the Delegates of the United States of America in Congress assembled did on the fifteenth day of November in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy seven, and in the Second Year of the Independence of America, agree to certain articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts-bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, in the words following, viz:

In the passage above, two conclusions are apparent.  The first conclusion is that the Articles of Confederation, offered for ratification in 1777, concern the same nation reasoned into existence under the Declaration of Independence in 1776.  That being the case, as we have seen previously in this series, the nation under the Declaration of Independence did not, and could not have morphed into any other sovereign animal than the one described in that document.  And by Article I of the new agreement, the sovereign nation under the Declaration of Independence retained its same title, the article offering

Article I. The Stile of this Confederacy shall be "The United States of America."

And Article II of the confederation agreement certifies that each party to the agreement delegated certain authority to the new government, which authority could not be rescinded, except as provided in some provision of that same agreement, offering

Article II. Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.

Because perpetuity was expressly delegated to the confederation government, that aspect of the agreement could not be altered unless specifically provided elsewhere in the agreement.  For this reason, and really this reason only, because perpetuity was never removed, eventually Lincoln would find the authority necessary to take steps to save the union under the Constitution.

Next though, toward the end of the agreement we find the bold provision that the Unites States of America is indeed under the authority of God, offering

And Whereas it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the legislatures we respectively represent in Congress, to approve of, and to authorize us to ratify the said articles of confederation and perpetual union. Know Ye that we the undersigned delegates, by virtue of the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do by these presents, in the name and in behalf of our respective constituents, fully and entirely ratify and confirm each and every of the said articles of confederation and perpetual union, and all and singular the matters and things therein contained: And we do further solemnly plight and engage the faith of our respective constituents, that they shall abide by the determinations of the united States in congress assembled, on all questions, which by the said confederation are submitted to them. And that the articles thereof shall be inviolably observed by the States we respectively represent, and that the union shall be perpetual.

Compared to some of the previous discussions in this series, the Founders made this so plain that it is unequivocal, that the World has a Great Governor, God, and that God authorizes the people of the United States, through their representatives, to ratify this agreement known as the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.  And to leave no doubt as to their intentions, the people agreed once again that the union shall be perpetual. So each state, boldly proclaimed its agreement that the union referred under its terms shall not end.  Because each party agreed to that stipulation, then that term of the agreement is enforceable by all other parties.

And notice that God is not a passive god here.  According to the men who authored and endorsed this agreement, God 'inclined their hearts' to approve the Articles of Confederation.  That God would incline one's heart is a Christian concept.  Because Christians offer their hearts to God through Jesus Christ, they are given the gift of the Holy Spirit indwelling with their given spirits.  Among the works of the Holy Spirit, He guides the Christian toward fulfilling the will of God.  So in offering that the Great Governor of the World inclined their hearts, the legislature representing the American people certified that they were Christians under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

And to further solidify that the Great Governor of the World was no deist god, no god of any other thinking than God of the Bible and New Testament, the people of the United States of America, by their authorized representatives, agreed that the date of the agreement in question is relative to the date of the birth of Jesus Christ, "our Lord," offering

In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in Congress. Done at Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania the ninth Day of July in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and Seventy-eight, and in the Third Year of the independence of America.

Because the America people agreed that the 'Great Governor of the World' influenced and authorized their actions in agreeing to the Articles of Confederation, and because within that same document those people also agreed that their Lord is Jesus Christ, then it is not arguable against the conclusion that according to this document, Jesus Christ is the Great Governor of the World, which conclusion requires that Jesus Christ owns all authority on earth, once again agreeing with the scriptures of the New Testament.  So in this agreement, our Founders made it easy for us to understand that the United States of America is indeed one nation under God, which draws its authority from Jesus Christ, and is therefore a Christian nation under that definition.

In the next installment in this series, Is America A Christian Nation, we will finally take a look at America's Constitution, and determine whether it either ratifies, or denies, the heretofore demonstrated conclusion that America is a Christian Nation authorized by the Scriptures of the New Testament, and therefore Jesus Christ.

So stay on the lookout and check in for the next contribution.  If you would like a reminder of each successive article in this series and beyond, simply click on the 'subscribe' button on the page and you will receive notifications.  Thank you for your readership!

Hank