GEORGE WASHINGTON

Undoubtedly, the most famous man to have survived the American Revolution is the veritable “father of our country,” George Washington; but was he a Christian?  Many zealous Christian patriots have insisted that he was, but history reveals that questions about his faith did not begin in the modern era.  Even during his lifetime, there were many who sought out a clear answer as to what George Washington believed about God and the Lord Jesus Christ specifically.  While Washington was less vocal about his thoughts on religion than men like Paine and Jefferson, it is clear that he held similar views and was influenced by the Enlightenment.

There were several interesting character traits of this man that were well known in his lifetime.  First, he refused to take communion.  On Sundays when communion was served, Washington would get up and leave the church.  This information is well documented, and testified to by many sources.  People repeatedly inquired about it, and some were very disturbed by the fact that America’s great leader, though a church-going man, refused to partake in the Lord’s Supper.  A Christian minister, Dr. Bird Wilson who lived in the wake of the Revolutionary era, spent years investigating the “faith” of the founders.  He preached a famous sermon on the religion of the Presidents, exposing their unbelief.  In this sermon he said:

“When Congress sat in Philadelphia, President Washington attended
the Episcopal church.  The rector, Dr. Abercrombie, told me that on the
days when the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was to be administered,
Washington’s custom was to rise just before the ceremony commenced,
and walk out of the church.”  (Rev. Dr. Wilson as cited in “Six Historic
Americans,” by John E. Remsburg)

Confirmation that George Washington was in the habit of walking out of Church, right before the Communion service, and that he refused to partake in the ceremony, is testified to by both the ministers who knew Washington personally, and by his adopted granddaughter, Nelly Custis.  In his sermon, Dr. Wilson went on to describe what happened as a result of this behavior, and how Washington reacted to it:

“This became a subject of remark in the congregation, as setting a
bad example.  At length the Doctor undertook to speak of it, with a
direct allusion to the President.  Washington was heard afterwards to
remark that this was the first time a clergyman had thus preached to
him, and he should henceforth neither trouble the Doctor nor his
congregation on such occasions; and ever after that, upon communion
days, he ‘absented himself altogether from the church.’” (Ibid, same
as above)

It is only fair to say that others, including the wife of Alexander Hamilton, testified that on certain occasions, George Washington did partake of communion in the church.  Nevertheless, that it was a point of contention for him is without question.  The reason why has never been fully answered. 

Testimony of the Clergy who knew Washington

Bishop William White is known as the father of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America.  It is also reported that:  “During a large portion of the period covering nearly a quarter of a century, Washington, with his wife, attended the churches in which Bishop White officiated.” (Six Historic Americans, by John E. Remsburg)  After more than 20 years of being a pastor to George Washington himself, the Rev. White was only able to give a vague testimony of Washington’s faith.  For obvious reasons, many people sought this man hoping he could give a clear testimony of Washington’s Christian belief.  His reply on one occasion was:

"I do not believe that any degree of recollection will bring
to my mind any fact which would prove General Washington
to have been a believer in the Christian revelation further than
as may be hoped from his constant attendance upon Christian
worship, in connection with the general reserve of his character."
(Ibid, Remsburg, citing the Memoir of Bishop White," p. 193)

In other words, beyond his generally moral character and the fact that he went to church regularly, there is no other proof that he was a believer. 

The assistant to Rev. White was the Rev. James Abercrombie, who also ministered to Washington for years.  Years later, when questioned by Dr. Bird Wilson, it is clear that Rev. Abercrombie arrived at the following conclusion:

“Long after Washington’s death, in reply to Dr. Wilson,
who had interrogated him as to his illustrious auditor’s
religious views, Dr. Abercrombie’s brief but emphatic
answer was: ‘Sir, Washington was a Deist.’” (Six Historic
Americans, by John E. Remsburg)

Thomas Jefferson’s Journal:

Among the statements by those who knew George Washington personally, is a journal entry made by Thomas Jefferson, in which he describes information related to him by Gouveneur Morris.  Jefferson describes how the clergy in Philadelphia had tried to obtain a confession of faith, or a clear denial, from Washington during his farewell address as president.  Thomas Jefferson commented on this in his journal, saying:

"Feb. 1. Dr. Rush tells me that he had it from Asa Green
that when the clergy addressed General Washington on his
departure from the Government, it was observed in their
consultation that he had never on any occasion said a word
to the public which showed a belief in the Christian religion
and they thought they should so pen their address as to force
him at length to declare publicly whether he was a Christian
or not. They did so. However, he observed, the old fox was
too cunning for them. He answered every article in their address
particularly except that, which he passed over without notice
…. I know that Gouverneur Morris, who pretended to be
in his secrets and believed himself to be so, has often told
me that General Washington believed no more in the system
(Christianity) than he did." (“A Sly Old Fox: George Washington
and Religion,” from a Talk for Teacher’s Institute at Mt.
Vernon, July 21, 1999 citing: The Writings of Thomas
Jefferson, vol. 1, p. 284.)

The Asa Green mentioned by Jefferson was Dr. Ashbel Green, who was the Chaplain to the Congress during Washington’s presidency.  Dr. Green “dined with the President on special invitation nearly every week.”  One of his relatives, A.B. Bradford (who was later appointed a consul to China by President Lincoln) gave the following testimony about the event which Jefferson had described.  Bradford related that what follows was “frequently” told to him by Dr. Green:

“He explained more at length the plan laid by the
clergy of Philadelphia at the close of Washington's
administration as President to get his views of religion
for the sake of the good influence they supposed they
would have in counteracting the Infidelity of Paine
and the rest of the Revolutionary patriots, military and
civil. But I well remember the smile on  his face and
the twinkle of his black eye when he said: 'The old fox
was too cunning for Us.'”

Notice the reference to “Us” as Dr. Green counted himself among the Christian clergymen who were trying to obtain a clear confession from President Washington.  The quote continues, as Bradford says of Dr. Green:

“He affirmed, in concluding his narrative, that from his
long and intimate acquaintance with Washington he knew
it to be the case that while he respectfully conformed to
the religious customs of society by generally going to
church on Sundays, he had no belief at all in the divine
origin of the Bible, or the Jewish-Christian religion."
(Six Historic Americans, by John E. Remsburg, citing an
article from The Chicago Tribune, by B.F. Underwood)

Sacred Fire?

In recent years author, Peter A. Lillback made an attempt to prove that Washington was a Christian, in his popular book, “George Washington’s Sacred Fire,” a book that was promoted by Glenn Beck as part of his “take back America” movement.  Lillback penned a thousand pages of seemingly endless speculation and suggestive possibilities, but the only confession he could produce was a single quote from Washington on “the Religion of Jesus Christ.”  Moreover, the author of Sacred Fire destroys his entire hypothesis by revealing the following universalist/ecumenical quote from Washington to his fellow Freemason, the Marquis de Lafayette. 

“Being no bigot myself to any mode of worship, I am
disposed to indulge the professors of Christianity in the
church, that road to Heaven, which to them shall seem
the most direct plainest easiest and least liable to exception.”
(George Washington’s Sacred Fire, p. 453)

Notice how he refers to Christianity as “that road to Heaven” as if it were just one of many.  Washington’s words are entirely Masonic, and the quote appears as if he is letting his hair down to a fellow Mason.  Furthermore, the quote clearly shows that Washington viewed himself as an outsider to biblical Christianity, and suggests that he merely “indulges” the Christians by going to church, etc. 

Why would Washington refer to the faith of Christians as that “which to them shall seem the … plainest easiest and least liable to exception?”  Chances are, his most famous motto: “Deeds not words” provides the explanation.  If one reads the writings of the founders, it becomes clear that they rejected the Gospel teaching that men are saved by God’s grace, through faith in the Word of God, not of works.  For the Revolutionaries and especially Masons, good works or deeds were required for a man to be justified.  This is true in Freemasonry even today.  From Washington’s perspective, the path of Christianity (i.e. by faith alone) was the “easiest” way “to them” for a person to get to heaven.

All who knew Washington would agree that in terms of moral conduct and his code of honor, the world viewed him (and he probably saw himself) as a man of Christian character.  As a Freemason, however, this did not require that he believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, or that He died for our sins, and that by faith in Him alone, do we have eternal life.

The “god” of George Washington

“… for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” (Luke 6:45)

Christians today run into serious problems when they attempt to argue that George Washington was a believer, or that he was a Christian man.  While there is no specific denial (that we know of) from Washington’s own hand concerning Jesus Christ, what he did profess seems to fit with the collective evidence from those who knew him.  The only “god” that George Washington clearly confessed faith in was the “Great Architect of the Universe” – the god of Freemasonry.  Below are three letters that Washington wrote to his brothers in the Masonic lodge.  These letters can be viewed online at the Library of Congress, written in his own hand:

*This is the actual text not an actual copy of the letter.
                                       

*This is the actual text not an actual copy of the letter.
                                       

*This is the actual text not an actual copy of the letter.

                                       
In this third letter to the York Masons of Lodge No. 22, notice how Washington uses full Masonic dialogue, not only mentioning the “Supreme Architect” but also referring to the fact that the Masons complimented him for acting “on the Square” – which is a well known Masonic reference concerning upright, honest behavior.  If one compares Washington’s letters to his fellow Masons with those he wrote to Christian clergymen, it becomes clear that he was much more comfortable with the “Great Architect” than anything having to do with Jesus Christ.

The faith of George Washington becomes especially important when one considers the overwhelming number of Freemasons involved in churches today, often seeking out positions of authority as pastors, elders, deacons, etc.  The “faith” of Washington confirms the universalist beliefs of these men, and the more Christians go about saying that Washington was a “Christian man,” they only strengthen the rebellious doctrine of those who follow his ungodly beliefs.  As the Scripture warns:

“I have seen also in the prophets … an horrible thing: they
commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands
of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness …”
(Jeremiah 23:14)

“Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad,
whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked,
that he should not turn from his wicked way, by promising him
life …” (Ezekiel 13:22)

While many Christians may not think of it this way, when they declare that George Washington, who worshiped the god of Masonry, was a “saved” man, and that he should be counted among the saints – they are, however unwittingly, promising eternal life to those who are believing the lies of Universal Theology – which can only be called the faith and religion of Antichrist.



Comments

[brenda]

didn't his stand on Free Masonry change later on in his life:: see below
Further, Governor Ritner, in response to a communication from the Legislature of Pennsylvania, prepared a vindication of President Washington from the stigma of adherence to secret societies, in which he proved from authentic documents:

That in 1768 Washington had ceased regular attendance in the Lodge
That in 1798, shortly before his death, his opinions were the same as thirty years before, when he was thirty-six years old.
That he was never “grand Master” or “Master of any particular lodge.
That in 1781, as appears by the record of King David Lodge, Newport, Rhode Island, it was agreeable to Washington to be addressed as a private Mason.
That all the letters said to be written by Washington to lodges are spurious.
Washington was initiated into Masonry when a young man, but in his mature years it was distasteful to him to be addressed as a Mason, and in reply to a letter from Dr. Snyder, declared that he had not been in a lodge of Masons but once in or twice in thirty years. He was to all intents and purposes a seceding Mason.