page_title: A Manual of Religious Belief
section_title: The Introduction and Questions asked in the dialogue
hierarchical_section_title: A Manual of Religious Belief / The Introduction and Questions asked in the dialogue
context_page_description: The surviving manuscript of the instructional work A Manual of Religious Belief is written in the form of a theological dialogue between father and child written out in holograph by John Murdoch for William Burnes, Robert Burns's father. William had started to compose and compile the work before Robert Burns's birth and wrote the first rough draft that has not survived. This work was originally composed with a stronger Scots language content that Murdoch modified, as well as making grammatical corrections.
context_section_description: The following questions give the essence of the approach taken by William Burnes and an insight into the religious terminology and religious attitude of the author. The answers composed by William Burnes are generally extensive and can be found in the specifically cited reference volume.
  Son. Dear Father, you have often told me, while you were initiating me into the Christian religion, that you stood bound for me, to give me a Christian education, and recommend a religious life to me. I would therefore, if you please, ask you a few questions that may tend to confirm my faith, and clear its evidences to me.
  Father. My Dear Child, with gladness I will resolve to you, (as far as I am able,) any questions you ask; only with this caution, that you will believe my answers, if they are founded in the word of God.
  How will I evidence to myself that there is a God?
  If God be possessed of all possible perfection, ought we not then to love him, as well as fear and serve him?
  Then one would think this were sufficient to determine all men to love God, but how shall we account for so much wickedness in the world?
  But has God left his own rational offspring thus, to the tyranny of his and their enemy?
  But by what shall I know that this is a revelation of God, and not a cunningly devised fable?
  Seeing the Scriptures are proven to be a revelation of God, am not I indispensably bound to believe and obey them?
  Am I equally bound to obey all the laws delivered to Moses upon Mount Sinai?
  If the Moral Law be of indispensable obligation, I become bound to perfect and perpetual obedience, of which I am incapable, and on that account cannot hope to be justified and accepted with God
  Seeing the assistance of the Spirit of God is necessary absolutely for Salvation; hath not God clearly revealed by what mean we may obtain this great blessing?
  What do you understand by faith?
  By what shall I know that Jesus Christ is really the person that was prophesised of in the old testament; or that he was that seed of the woman that was to destroy the kingdom of sin
  You speak of repentance as absolutely necessary to salvation; I would know what you mean by repentance?
  I should be glad to hear you at large upon religion giving pleasure to animal life; for it is represented as taking up our cross and following Christ.
caption: Robert Burns
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