The Declaration itself cites God no fewer than four times: by name, as Creator, as judge, and as Divine Providence. Among the leaders of the Revolution were hundreds of ministers, preachers, and clergy, none of whom saw any contradiction between their faith and their support of the founding principles. In virtually every founding-era document—from the Declaration to the preambles of the state constitutions, from public speeches to private letters—one finds solemn praise for both the truth and necessity of religion.
