Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-10-18
RELIGION OH JOHN QUINCY, ADAMS

tt.i.lNION OH JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
From fls Uestr. I;.cfa
Aliong the mauy caluinniei ot which Mr. Adams
n,'- Decn hle subject hone have rc.Sed upo, = more
slender iein'lisn than that Which rcic. red 10 his
religious ki: To set tl.is matter il, it, tr,1p Iot
we r'bi!Hi the to1lnwinr extracts !lo laiters to his
"itcst.oGn. written from Russia during his ,!isson
10 tiil- country, and subsequently, v?ilt7 witIout
his kAuvcjrH col,senJ.-lEe are Wi .iu = nat ,hn
lent nj the neN. election lorli bn DECIDED b., the.
fI'.: Of Afucrca, When tl.y r;c <or1 The r:rus;:l
:. 'n, tc..o"!;'g P"Ges: We q'H:;e them 1lc'n
paper paha'iod III Of t2 oTt;.... States during
the ycur 1921;
taA'"'te q jeHcy% fjo4,g. O. .!Msjp~io lis Son.
!n yong ictic: q the !oth Of january, 10 yorr
h.l'1:r, YOU men i2n that YOU rcad yor aunt
ch;te! IL t;i iiisc ur section from DIR. Dcd6ridrc
CO.. Guy Tbs Information gaze me greul pleasure:
tor "a Slr"' !liy vcn&ration lr tie Bible 50 strong
Is! my '''i thai when daily .cad and n,e6itacd upon
Is OF all hoos III tho world that which contributes
iuo,t {" make nan GOOD, wise ind happy; tltt tie
earlier my clidren Dcsl, ia 1Ga;. IL ana the more
steadily 'hcy pursua tie rrarlice Of reading IL
throughout t"Ir lives, the more lively and confident
viii be ny hopes. that -v win prove ,rsetil! ,;%rns
20 tiIcT country, Respectable E,I,cTs OF iccctv ana
4 real blessing 10 their parents.
- aIvlse You, '.9 son, iii Whist YOU read, and
most at all III reiang TIE Bio r,cubpr that il
* Lar the HI"pcsa q making YOU Wis and !;ye VIZ
5'lc!S havc, Tor y=c!i, Tor lnllv years made il
practice !" READ through the Bile once cverv -car
iNe "lHGS cl!dcaI CURED to read Il Viii! the same
*l'.f@tla temper Of lnlld slt ToW recoJnnend il 10
yoG: that ~ with the :tcntio,l aid dy1. tina, n,frl
con! D'e ~ my advancement in wisdom and vine
tiy desire ta1Gcd, YER, theoretically st-,~ +
ior, ike YOU end tic Ap9Stl: Pau find a. lv In NJ,
NJ jcra NurTing against ns' OF nay m.ai. But
as Know 1t Is ~ INQUIRE 70 IL ;lG1crtict $, ;.lON
1t * my DUTY 20 ann at perjr:iu; aud ir,. and
del!l" nc ny iialtes, Only prav alniiglitv
GnG ter the aid Of his spirit To strengthen Inv rood
Grs res, aud subuCe my rroptIiiiS Ia cvii for il i,
LON h'ln tat every good and perfect o dsc,lrieth.
Ny cuEn * real four OF FIVE cl,l.tl Of fin,
i!Eiis every inoinnT immediately after r:sin Eoic
bed. H. e'p!oH' IN about an four Of NY TINE and
sech:S ftI. nast suitable OF beninnur the
Guy: Livery tune / read the Bible understand
some passages which never understood before"
IN IS essential my son i'll order that you may 90
THO NE "'h comfort 10 EoUrrc auf usa!uI - 10
CERTAIN rules cnd principles ior tx government Of
y0ur conduct and temper. f-n,se hcr,, he such
rules i:'d Hrrclr"s thee WI! be Mulahercas coca
>oas which Won Will hryc no t-uides t7r --npr
government hnt your passions. l. is III the Biol, YOU
must learn tlf">c rt:l"s "a principles"
S'!'aaing OF those parts OF Scripre ti,at appear
mysterious lac soys: ''-iil this is undoubtedly nirvol-
ious and oooyc oiIr comprehension. Much Of it is
Clearly tGurdtlrc and ullcGorCa nor is ii c;sv 10
distinguish whit purt OF it is DC understood IN a
literal md what Ill symholjcdl stuse; but thu which
1t imports is to understand is rIdiu The Great aud
essential principles on which duties aud cnjoy-
mcns depend are involved in obscuritv."
NV hen one OF the persona gcs i'll Of rernnra's
Comedies the FIRST time uttered in the .ccfrJ. fIa
Inc "lfD"io Spim et huIdnniG .Ae nil aficni:u to.
anna aud whatever concerns man Concerns rn0
uniicTsGl sI0tt Of applause burst from tho, Whole
audL'iCc- Hld We are told that III GREAT multitude
OF Romans and o. deputies from The nations cir
subjects and allies, there ore individual but
.ot III his heart power Of Ills noble sentiment
Yet how feeble and detective is it. iii comparison with
the Christian cG5nnands Of Chptitv, ~ pnoldad in
the dlscoursei OF Christ and enlarged upcn in tic
writings o. the Apostles, Tic heart OF man vii
always respond with rapture to the sentiment viIcn
there IL nJ selfish, no unsocial passion ut Worb to
oppose II. Lut tic colnpard 10 lay il down as tic
/ great fundamental conduct Of Iinau life and to
subGuc and sacrifice ali the tyrau,:cl and selfish
passions to preserve it, this is tI r., ia. end uuad-
! ing glory Of Christianity; fiU. is conquest over
ourselves, which without tn al. Of Z; ,.rcl;iIi Con
none Of us can achieve; and wi., i ,as worthy of
his special interposition 70 Cnabn u 10 accomplish"
''In my last, showed sou, rous the very words OF
our Saviour, tIat he commended lis disciples 10 aim
at pCrfection; and this perfection consisted in self
subiugation and br0thcriy love: in the complete con-
quest of the passions, end in the practice Of bcncvo-
lence 10 iclgw creatures, iH,i1dUr amor" them
or most invctcratc enemies.
''You vii there fiud proved the du.v Or entirely
subduing tire passions 1t IL soun.ruca objected that
this theory is not adapted the urrlitios of human
nature; that it is not made for i,ra bcin 50 CON
stutcd as man: that eartlcr vcaec Is not formed
to dash against rock that in yielding the Impulse
OF his passions, man only follows The dictates % his
nature, end that. TO sbduc them entirely. ~ effort
beyond his power. The weakness and tTaily Of MN
is not possible TO dem il is too strongly atescd bv
ell Human experience, AZ VOL as the hole teuof Of
tho scriptures bit tho degree of weakness is tn nc
limited by tho effort 70 overcome It. ard not Nv iMdu
gcncc to il. Once admit ,rcalncss ~ an a-curleaf
to forbear cTefon, and it results il absolute a7o-
lt"rco IT is also very inconclJsivc reasoning 20 ior
that, Occause perfection is not absolutely to BE- attain
o. IT IS, therefore. not 70 he souIit--Ilmuan excel
3'CN consists ~ - yIrr'iD', - rnrD'-i.f: o..1