The Religious Views Of The Founding Signers
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, November 24, 2025 (Donate)
The Signers And Their Local Denomination
Most of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence
were clearly members of Christian churches (Congregationalist, Presbyterian,
Episcopalian, Quaker, Lutheran, Baptist, etc.) and one was a Roman Catholic. No
signer ever blatantly denied Christ or Scripture.
Several signers didn’t write much on their personal understanding
of biblical matters or if they did, it hasn’t survived. Nonetheless, they were
members of certain churches for their life’s duration and thus, we can know
what they largely believed by that.
Rarely, especially in that age, would someone be an active
member of a local Christian church as a Hindu, pagan, atheist and so on! Tallied
below are the religious affiliation of the signers.
· New
Hampshire
Josiah Bartlett –
Congregationalist
William Whipple – Congregationalist
Matthew Thornton – Presbyterian
· Massachusetts
John Hancock –
Congregationalist
Samuel Adams – Congregationalist; wrote: “We have this day restored the
Sovereign to whom alone men ought to be obedient.” (Letter to James Warren,
1775)
John Adams – Congregationalist (later Unitarian); wrote
extensively of Providence: “The general principles on which the fathers
achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” (Letter to
Jefferson, June 28, 1813)
Robert Treat Paine – Congregationalist
Elbridge Gerry – Congregationalist
· Rhode
Island
Stephen Hopkins – Quaker
William Ellery – Congregationalist
· Connecticut
Roger Sherman –
Congregationalist; helped draft the Doctrinal Creed of Yale; wrote: “I believe
that there is one only living and true God... and that the Scriptures of the
Old and New Testament are a revelation from God.” (Sherman Manuscript
Confession)
Samuel Huntington – Congregationalist
William Williams – Congregationalist
Oliver Wolcott – Congregationalist
· New
York
William Floyd –
Presbyterian
Philip Livingston – Presbyterian
Francis Lewis – Presbyterian
Lewis Morris – Episcopalian
· New
Jersey
Richard Stockton –
Presbyterian
John Witherspoon – Presbyterian minister; signed as “Rev. John
Witherspoon” and wrote: “Cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the
cross of Christ.” (Sermon, 1776)
Francis Hopkinson – Episcopalian; church music composer
John Hart – Baptist
Abraham Clark – Presbyterian
· Pennsylvania
Robert Morris –
Episcopalian
Benjamin Rush – Presbyterian
Benjamin Franklin – Raised Presbyterian; wrote: “God governs in
the affairs of men.” (Speech at Constitutional Convention, 1787)
John Morton – Lutheran
George Clymer – Episcopalian
James Smith – Presbyterian
George Taylor – Episcopalian
James Wilson – Presbyterian
George Ross – Episcopalian
· Delaware
Caesar Rodney –
Episcopalian
George Read – Episcopalian
Thomas McKean – Presbyterian
· Maryland
Samuel Chase – Episcopalian
William Paca – Episcopalian
Thomas Stone – Episcopalian
Charles Carroll of Carrollton – Roman Catholic; wrote: “On the mercy of
my Redeemer I rely for salvation.” (Carroll letter, 1825)
· Virginia
George Wythe – Episcopalian
Richard Henry Lee – Episcopalian
Thomas Jefferson – Episcopalian for a time (theologically
unorthodox, but Christian by identification); wrote: “God who gave us life gave
us liberty.” (Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII)
Benjamin Harrison – Episcopalian
Thomas Nelson Jr. – Episcopalian
Francis Lightfoot Lee – Episcopalian
Carter Braxton – Episcopalian
George Read – Episcopalian
· North
Carolina
William Hooper –
Episcopalian
Joseph Hewes – Quaker (returned to Anglican fellowship near death)
John Penn – Episcopalian
· South
Carolina
Edward Rutledge –
Episcopalian
Thomas Heyward Jr. – Episcopalian
Thomas Lynch Jr. – Episcopalian
Arthur Middleton – Episcopalian
· Georgia
Button Gwinnett –
Congregationalist
Lyman Hall – Congregationalist minister
George Walton – Episcopalian
The Big Three
Though some say six, there are definitely three that resisted
orthodox teachings on Christ and His deity. Naturally, these are John Adams
(unitarian), Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. They were resistant to
the full teachings of Scripture, yet respected the Bible and often drew from it
or openly borrowed from the Word of God. All acknowledged the God of the Bible,
whether they ever surrendered to Christ is unknown—likely not.
These men questioned certain doctrines, but never denied Christ’s existence, never denied God’s reality, and often affirmed biblical morality and Providence which was predicated on the Bible.
Take Jefferson for instance. He believed in a form of “god”
and believed this “god” to be just and often quoted from the New Testament
while denying it was the true revelation from God.
But here in lies the problem. How would he know anything
about the existence of “a god”, if the Bible is not a revelation from the
God; how would he know that this alleged “god” of his was just? Knowing
anything about God is predicated on God's revelation of Himself and knowing
that God is just comes from that same revelation?
Jefferson absolutely faced this unsurmountable philosophical
problem—and his entire religious system depends on rejecting biblical
revelation while still trying to claim knowledge of God. This places him in a
self-contradictory position when examined carefully. Thus, it is self-refuting.
Jefferson thought humans could know:
· that “a god” exists
· that “a god” is moral
· that “a god” is just
· that “a god” judges nations
· that “a god” created moral law
· that “a god” can be appealed to
Yet, without this alleged “god” revealing that to us, one
can’t know any of it. This form of “natural religion”, that man can reason it
on his own, is purely arbitrary and unsupportable logically.
Some have suggested that Jefferson’s belief was deism,
however, in deism, “a god” is hands off and this alleged “god” cannot be known
because “it” doesn’t reveal anything. So, you can’t know if this “god” exists or
that “it” would be moral, just, and judge! This supposed “god” definitely cannot
be appealed to because a deistic “god’ doesn’t act in the affairs of man. See
the logical inconsistencies? Without revelation:
· You cannot know if your “god” is just
· You cannot know if your “god” cares about morality
· You cannot know if your “god” rewards virtue
· You cannot know if your “god” judges nations
· You cannot know if your “god” is personal
· You cannot even know if your “god” is one
· You cannot even know if your “god” uses male pronouns!
These things are not deducible from reason alone. Jefferson
arbitrarily assumed them (the reality is that he borrowed them from the Bible),
but he could not ground them or have any basis for them within his own system
of belief. These are fatal inconsistencies for his worldview.
Conclusion
Did you (the readers) notice the point though? Almost all
the signers were blatant Christians. Even non-signers like George Washington
was devout in his faith (e.g., consider his support of the John Brown Self-Interpreting
Bible now known largely as the Washington
Bible). And yet, we spent so much time talking about the compromised signers—like
Jefferson or Franklin).
The fact is that most signers were Bible believers and
followers of Christ and faithful to their local denomination. Even these others
like John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, often borrowed from the Bible
and appealed to it without hesitation, even though their hearts weren’t with
the Christ of the Bible.
□
Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website.
He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and
researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head
of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a
personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has
spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
