From Tyndale to Madison: How the Death of an English Martyr Led to the American Bill of Rights

This is a well-researched and well-written book about the genesis of the Bill of Rights in the United States. The author deserves a lot of credit for writing this book, and I highly recommend it, especially for young people, and those who espouse the cause of religious liberty. The author traces the genesis of the Bill of Rights all the way to William Tyndale's efforts to translate the Bible into English in 16th century England to allow common people the opportunity to read the scriptures for themselves, long before the Enlightenment movement took shape. The author follows the history of the Protestant Reformation, the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church during the reign of king Henry VIII, subsequent evolution of different Protestant denominations on both sides of the Atlantic, and the unfortunate conflicts which erupted at times in wars such as the Anglo-Spanish war of 1585, and the English Civil War 1642-1651. It is sad, but instructive, to note the history of persecution perpetrated by temporal powers against many individuals and or denominations for their beliefs. The evolution of the Protestant denominations was carried from the shores of England to the Colonies, which became later on the United States, an evolution that was influenced both by the events, developments, and laws of England, and the new environs, developments, and the people of Colonies. The author devotes a good portion of the book to the developments in the United States, and the influence of the activist preachers and schools such as the College of New Jersey, known now as Princeton University, and early scholars/preachers such as John Witherspoon. James Madison and many other future leaders of the United States were educated at Princeton. The author also traces James Madison family tree to William Tyndale in England. However, it seems that Madison was perhaps more influenced by his education at Princeton, and the developments of the War of Independence, the quest of dissenting denominations for religious liberty, and the necessity of establishing a Federal Government in the United States. Initially, Madison felt that the Constitution was sufficient; however he changed his mind and pursued a Bill of Rights as a supplement to the Constitution in 1789. A House-Senate conference approved the Bill of Rights on September 24, 1789, and sent it to the states for ratification. On September 25, 1789, the US Congress approved a resolution to ask President George Washington to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts, the many signal favors of Almighty God. Washington signed the first proclamation for thanksgiving to God on October 3, 1789. As we enjoy the fruits of liberty in this great nation, it is imperative to recall that this liberty originated primarily from Christian beliefs. It is indeed a precious gift and labor of love bestowed upon us, by many ge