Portray John Jay

PORTRAY JOHN JAY

Have you ever given serious consideration to the Christian worldview of the Founding Fathers? How about hearing it from the nation's first Chief Justice John Jay? Did they teach you in high school that he was asked by the New York Convention to address the state of New York during the trying times of December 1776 and in that address mentioned God and having faith in God 33 times? Did they teach you in college about Mr. Jay being President of the American Bible Society? Did you learn in graduate school that there was a four hour communion service to start the Supreme Court in New York City? Have you ever heard in your church that Jay, Washington, Adams, the Senate and the House of Representatives under the Constitution met at St. Paul's Chapel on April 30, 1789 to dedicate the country's new government to God?

Phil Webster has dug deeply into the primary sources of the Founding Fathers to find out where they stood. He has heard what many have heard in classrooms, books, magazines, church sermons, news stories, etc. that all the Founders were Deists and that there was no place for God in the public square. Phil Webster has taken the time to read 25 volumes of Letters of the Delegates of Congress 1774-1789 and 34 volumes of Journals of Continental Congress. Phil's research does not come from just shooting off the hip. John Jay is just the man to present the Christian worldview of the Founders. Phil graduated from Asbury College where there were chapel services three times a week. Most students in our current society have not had that opportunity. That background helps Phil relate to the Founders attending morning and evening prayers while attending college. That background helped the Founders stay married (in the huge majority of cases). Those chapel services helped the Founding Fathers and Phil be a better husband and father. Phil also attended a believing seminary (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). It is hard to fathom that people can attend and graduate from seminary but not believe in the Bible nor be a follower of Jesus Christ. Phil, like John Jay, believes in God's Word to be true and follows Jesus Christ.

Maryland and Delaware Troops Sacrificing Their Lives for the Continental Army August 27, 1776

Maryland and Delaware Troops Sacrificing Their Lives for the Continental Army August 27, 1776

On this day August 27, 1776 Continental Army soldiers from Delaware and Maryland lost over 500 men combined in an effort to let the Continental Army live to fight another day. The combined British Forces with Hessian mercenaries totalled about 30,000. The American side totalled between 15,000 to 20,000. Not only was the American side outnumbered, the British had control of the waterways around Long Island.

It is hard to visualize a battle happening at Brooklyn but it happened. Three very good resources are:
1. David McCullough's 1776 Illustrated Version.
2. The Maryland 400 in the Battle of Long Island, 1776 by Linda Davis Reno
3. The Battle of Brooklyn, 1776 by John J. Gallagher

General Washington saw the Marylanders charge the British forces six times and said: "Good God, what brave fellows we have lost this day!" Most Marylander do not know that this even happened and further do not know that Washington gave Maryland the unique priviledge of flying their flag at the same height as the United States' flag because of this.

John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Madelyn Murray O'Hare

As seen in the post of February 16, 2015, JFK had a Christian worldview. What does JFK have to do with the Founding Fathers? In our nation's history, prayer was recommended in our schools by our leaders from 1776 to 1789 to 1963. Under the Constitution, prayer had been recommended for 174 years. Ask someone who can remember when they had prayer in school and you can get some interesting responses.

174 years of prayer in public schools
174 years of prayer in public schools
174 years of prayer in public schools

now wiped off the nation's memory.

The generations that have grown up since 1963 has no remembrance in their mind about school being a place where God was welcomed. There has been a continual effort to exclude God from every part of school life. The curriculum must not mention God or Jesus or saints. Holidays (holy days) like Christmas and Easter are winter and spring vacations.

As a youth, I looked up to President Kennedy,especially his heroism on PT 109 in the Pacific. It seems that President Kennedy forgot the lesson of Alexander Hamilton who committed adultery and took the criticism and repented. During this period of the decision coming before the Supreme Court, a huge temptation was put in front of President Kennedy in the form of Marilyn Monroe.

March 24, 1962 Palm Springs FL JFK with Monroe
April 3, 1962 Engel v. Vitale argued before Supreme Court
May 19, 1962 Monroe sings “Happy Birthday Mr. President” at Madison Square Garden
June 25, 1962 Engel v. Vitale decided by Supreme Court; ruled it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools.
August 4, 1962 Marilyn Monroe’s death
Nov. 22, 1963 JFK assassinated

When the time came for JFK to give a response, he was compromised. He knew that if he made a stand against the Supreme Court decision, he could be blackmailed for his indiscretion. When he gave his response to the Supreme Court decision, keep in mind that he was compromised and dare not oppose the decision for fear of the backlash.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf0DzGlisXQ

What Would John Jay Say About the Current Supreme Court?

What Would John Jay Say About the Current Supreme Court?
People ask me quite often:”What would John Jay and the Founders think about the Supreme Court?” For starters he would be livid that the Supreme Court consisted of zero ( 0 ) Evangelical Christians.

There are ZERO Evangelical Protestants on the Supreme Court

Not even one? It is great that there are Catholic and Jewish Supreme Court justices but there is no room in the Supreme Court Inn for Evangelical Protestants. The tolerant, multi-cultural group will cut down your legs if you happen to be a WASP (How is that tolerant?). Most modern day citizens of the United States have no clue that the first Chief Justice of the United States also served as President of the American Bible Society.

Most modern day citizens of the United States have no clue that the first Chief Justice of the United States also served as President of the American Bible Society.

Founding Fathers’ View of the Historical Trustworthiness of the Bible
The Bible is the unique book in the world that can be trusted for its trustworthiness. As an author myself, I am aware of my mistakes and those of other authors. As a writer of history, I note in the back of books by other authors their mistakes. It encourages me when I see some great authors make mistakes themselves. However, God’s Word, the Bible is without error in its original writings.

Exodus 12:41 “At the end of 430 years to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt.”

Ezekiel 40:1 “In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city, on that very day the hand of the Lord was upon me and he took me there.”

The fall of Jerusalem was on August 14, 586 BC. The Bible does not say August 14, 586 but scholars are able to place that date with the Bible and historical research. God does not miss a trick. He is in control even though at times it does not appear so.

John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States had this to say about the trustworthiness of the Bible:
“It is to be regretted, but so I believe the fact to be, that except the Bible there is not a true history of the world.” John Jay to Rev. Jedidiah Morse; Feb. 28, 1797[written while Jay served as Chief Justice to the Supreme Court]

“…The Bible is the best of all Books, for it is the word of God, and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue, therefore to read it and regulate your Life by its precepts…” John Jay to his son Peter Augustus Jay; April 8, 1784 [Peter, born in 1776, was 8 years old at the time]

“…Our Redeemer commanded his apostles to preach the Gospel to every creature: to the end it was necessary that they should be enabled to understand and to preach it correctly, and to demonstrate its Divine origin and institution by incontestable proofs. The Old Testament, which contained the promises and prophecies respecting the Messiah, was finished at a period antecedent to the coming of our Saviour, and therefore afforded no information nor proof of his advent and subsequent proceeding. To qualify the apostles for their important task, they were blessed with the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and by him were enabled to preach the Gospel with concordant accuracy, and in divers languages: they were also endued with power to prove the truth of their doctrine, and of their authority to preach it, by wonderful and supernatural signs and miracles.”
John Jay, Address to the American Bible Society; May 12, 1825 [written while he served as President of the American Bible Society]

It astounds me that because of the secular influence in our textbooks, magazines, that so much emphasis placed on Jefferson and his watered-down version of the Bible. We never hear about the first Chief Justice’s view. In the first election for president who came in third place after George Washington and John Adams? Was it Jay or Jefferson? Washington had 90 votes, Adams had 45 votes and John Jay was next with 10 votes.

Lego Independence Hall

For Lego Lovers I have an entry for Independence Hall

Treaty of Paris Signing

On March 19, 2015 I had the honor of appearing as John Jay in the illustrious company of Ben Franklin (portrayed by Chris Lowell) and John Adams (portrayed by David Smith). Mark Croatti heads up The Treaty of Paris Center in Annapolis (which you can check out on www.treatyofpariscenter.org). The Center focuses on the time period between the signing of the Treaty of Paris and the signing of the Constitution. They have a room dedicated to the Presidents of the Continental Congress. Yes, someone finally recognizes the work of John Jay and the other Presidents before George Washington.

http://www.capitalgazette.com/multimedia/photos/cg-signing-the-treaty-of-paris-pictures-20150319,0,4386173.photogallery?index=cg-signing-the-treaty-of-paris-pictures-201503-001



If you go the Capital Gazette site you can see how Chris Lowell lightened the place up with Ben Franklin. He is the best Ben Franklin I have seen. He knows his subject in and out. He speaks French and even taught in France. He is a lot of fun and you cannot leave being around him without thinking that you have spent time with Dr. Franklin.

This picture was taken at the Annapolis State Capital with John Jay (Phil Webster), John Adams (David Smith) and Dr. Ben Franklin (Chris Lowell from www.benfranklinlive.com) in September 2015.