To conceive of America apart from religious liberty is almost unthinkable. But recent events have shown us the unthinkable may be right around the corner, with long-established religious rights being brushed away—despite weak judicial assurances to the contrary.

I think it’s worthwhile to take a look at how important Christian liberty was to America’s settlers and founders. For many of them, it was the reason they sacrificed everything to come here.

It was not easy undertaking this “errand into the wilderness,” to use a phrase from the Puritan Cotton Mather, who wrote The Great Works of Christ in America (1702). The first winter the Pilgrims experienced here (1620-1621) half of their number died. But they were free to worship Jesus without restrictions on their conscience, which is what they sought here.

Ten years later, Rev. John Winthrop led thousands of Puritans, and they founded Boston in 1630. Before even disembarking, Winthrop preached a classic sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity,” where he said (quoting the words of Christ), We shall be a “city on a hill.”

Source Jerry Newcombe, www.townhall.com