The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-05-20
The existence of the Supreme Being

The first rules Of Morality taught him
(says the late DR.. Beattie, speaking Of his
eldest son) were TO speak the truth and
keep secret, and I never found that in
a single instance he transgressed either.
The doctrines Of religion wished to i'm
press upon his mind, as soon as it might
be prepared to receive them, but did not
see the propriety Of making him commit
to memory theological sentences. or any
sentences it was not possible for him to
understand. And was desirous to make
trial how far his own reason would go,
in tracing out, with a little direction, the
great and first principles of all religion,
the being of God !. The following fact is
mentioned, not as proof Of superior Sc
gacity IN him (or have ne doubt that
most children would in like circumstances
think as he did) but merely a. a moral or
logical experiment. He had reached his
fifth or sixth year. knew the alphabet, and
could read little, but had received no
particular information, with respect to the
author of his being, because I thought he
could not understand such information,
and because had learned from my own
ICAPCDieuCt, tndl " OC tboOC w iVPCat
words not understood. is extremely detri-
mental to the faculties of young mind.
In corner of little garden. without in
forming any person of the circumstance,
l wrote in the mould with my finger the
three initial letters Of his name, and SOW
ing garden crosses in the furrows, cover
ed up the seed. and smoothed the ground.
Ten days after he came running to me,
land with astonishment in his countenance.
told me that his name was growing in the
garden smiled at the report, and seem
led inclined to disregard it, but he insist
ed on my going to see what had happened
Yes, said /, carelessly, on coming to the
|place. l see it is SO, but there is nothing
in this worth notice, it is mere chance, and
| went away. He followed me, and ia
king hold of my coat. said with some ear.
nestness. it could not be mere chance. for
that somebody must have contrved mat.
ters SO as to produce it. pretend not to
|give his words or my own, for have for
gotten both. but give the substance OF
what passed between US in such language
as we both understood. So you think.
said, that what appears SO regular as the
letters of your name, cannot be by chance
Yes, said he, with frmness, think so
Look at yourself, replied, and consider
your hands and fingers. your legs and fec
and other limbs, are they not regular IL
appearance. and useful to you? lie sale
they were. Came you then hither, sale
/, by chance? No, he answered, that can
not be, something must have made me
i. And who is that something. | asked. Ill
said he did not know. | took particua
notice that he did not say. as Rousseau
{ fancies a child. in like circumstances
might say. that his parents made him.
had now gained the point | aimed at;
law that his reason taught him (though h
I, could not SO express it) that what begin
to be, must have cause. and that what j
formed with regularity must have an in
telligent cause. therefore told him tn
n, name of the Great Being who made hin
and all the world. concerning whose ada
rable nature gave him such information
m as thought he could in some measur
comprehend. The lesson affected hin
greatly. and he never forgot either it. .
the circumstance that introduced it.