The political principles we know as classical liberalism were largely formulated 200 years prior to the Enlightenment by the later Reformers and their intellectual progeny. The Enlightenment thinkers wanted their conclusions but without the religious underpinnings--especially the doctrine of total depravity.

Today's lawlessness arose _despite_ these principles--not _because_ of them. The principles are derived, after all, from the divine / natural law.

See the work of John Witte, Jr., who has written prolifically on this.