The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-02-09
Mr.. wss.t.r,. Church Msmb.r.hip.

A few weeks since VIC published an ar.
ticle from the. Boston. Courier, on;the
church membership Of Daniel Webster,
which did not give correct version Of
the later years Of his religious history.
The following, from the discourse of Rev.
DR.. Butler chaplain of the us. Senate)
on Mr.. wcbster's death, is of course au.
thcntic
Mr.. Webster. In carly life, before
his removal to Boston was commune.
cant in Congregational Orthodox
Church, in Now Hampshire. After his
removal to Boston .ho attended the Uni.
tartan Church. About ten years since
be became communicate of the Epis.
copal Church in this city, Washington. ]
and has been a regular attendant aud
commitment in this church.
Of the entire system of religious O.
pinions entertained by Mr.. WEBSTER, l
have no authority to speak. But, in the
conversations which l have had with him
on religious Subjects his sentiments on
several topics have been freely express.
ed. His preference for the Episcopal
Church rested chiefly on his admiration
of its liturgy, and its general conserva.
tive character. He had no sympathy
with, but rather profound conviction
Of the folly ofthat churchmanship which
stands with its face 10 the past, and its
back to the future. lie loved most that
preaching which was plain, earnest affec.
tionatc, personal, and erpository, rather
than that which was general and discur-
sivc. His conversation was always un.
derstood by Inc to proceed upon the ad-
mission, on his part, Of what are called
the distinctive and evangelical truths of
the Gospel l have known his most en-.
phatie appreciation to have been express
cd of sermons in which these truths were
most distinctly presented.
Mr.. WEBSTER was exceedingly fond
of discoursing and convcrsing on rcli.
gious subjects. l never remember to
have visited him, when tho circumstan-
ecs admitted of it, that he did not en-
ter upon the subject. particularly re-
member call which 1 made upon him
on the third or forth evening after the
delivery of his great speech of the 9TH
of March, 1850 He was alone, and
somewhat indisposcd. But at once, and
with great intcrcst-apparcntly forget
full of public affairs at moment when
most men would have been alive at eve.
~ pore to know how their course would
be responded to or approvcd-hc enter.
ed upon a most interesting discussion of
moral, philosophical, and religious 1ues-
tons Among other subjects, he dwelt
much on the tendency Of men to rest in
church, or services, or sacramcnts, or
doctrines, or something else, for salvation
and acceptance, except just that spiritu-
al purity, and homage. aud service which
God demands and he gave me sketch
of series of sermons which might be
preached from tho text, "God is spirit.
and they that worsLiphim must worship
him in spirit and in truth One who
had seen and heard him that evening
would have supposed that no was a sage
and philosopher, whose interest was ab-
sorbcd in these great themes. 1t would
have occurred to him that be was at
that moment the most eminent of our
public men.at the most critical period of
his own and the nations life The inc-
dent impressed me with his singular
greatness.