Founding Fathers on Religion

“The Account of The Declaration”
Thomas Jefferson notes regarding the birth of the Declaration of Independence
www.ushistory.org/declaration/account/index.htm

“With the help therefore of Rushworth (a popular book, John Rushworth’s “Historical Collections”) whom we rummaged over for revolutionary precedents & forms of the Puritans of that day, preserved by him, we cooked up a resolution, somewhat modernizing their phrases...”
Note: dictionary definition of Puritan:
“A member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries advocated simplification of the deeds and ceremonies of the Church of England and strict religious discipline.”

The Founding Fathers called “for a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer” and further in that same paragraph Jefferson states, “ To give greater emphasis to our proposition, we agreed to wait the next morning on Mr. Nicholas, whose grave & religious character was more in unison with the tone of our resolution and to solicit him to move it.”

George Washington’s Farewell Address
http://www.gwpapers.virginia.edu/documents/farewell/transcript.html#p20

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men & citizens. The mere Politican, equally with the pious man ought to respect & to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private & public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the Oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure--reason & experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

'Tis substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule indeed extends with more or less force to every species of Free Government. Who that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric."

Declaration of Independence:

“the Laws of Nature’s God”
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”