The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-08
TIE RELIGION or Mr.. JEFFERSON.
fFrom the philadeiphia Eysnlma Argus.I

tAat@9A fFrom Philadelphia Eyensnf ArgusJ
We haPs the evil enam Of prosecuting and proscrib-
ing men on their Religions faith, their
want OF it. will speedily go out Of fashion. Our bef
does not depend upon our will 1t is not voluntary
matter it is founded upon evidence and is addressed to
and Judgment and is moi therefore matter
of choice depending upon our free agency and wholly
under control To persecute man Tor his opl-
ions therefore unreasonable, cruel and absurd Ii he
believes wrong, enlighten him do not hang or burn
him for what he cannot help If his opinions
neous hc is to be pitied not persecnted 81
The great error in all discussions in regard to the per
sona religion Of individuals says the Cincinnati Times
is the tendency to judge Of man iaith by the adher
he profess to certain dogmas and secaran for
mulates Of doctrine. This is always fruitful source of
error and misapprebension- Experience convlnccs us
that man inner, deep and vital religious sentiments
and spiritual emotions have very little to do with exter
nal observances and technical professions and adherence
10 prescribed form of words OF thousand that
experience occasion, the occasion viii sup
pose of adoration toward the Supreme Being
for personal mpenections aspirations after hoi
ness and lfe five viii exactly agree strict
points of doctrine bc able convince any other five
that their views ana pecuarites Of faith accurately
and reasonably founded 1t is the saddest mistake that
has been made in the many clumsy und oppressive
attempts to which the mind Of has been subjected
in the hopeless and preposterous cndcvor to establish
uniformity of thought and universal Of
religious dostincsit has been the saddest mistake,
say, to imagine that personal convictions and private
Judgments could be constrained aud moulded and made
No man he religious conlpuIsion; and no COM
pulsory prospective sentiments of religious mature
are worth n straw to any individual II they are not
genuine and experimental spontaneous and original they
are of no value. This false and Judgment of
which the world has long been guilty is the mother
OF bigotry and persecution and leads to all of
and injustice ia estimating the religious
opinions and Christian standing OF Others. 1t is very pre-
snnptuous to say it is very shallow to think that
piety and Christian principles may he measured by
rules and systems; that his attachments in religious
life may be graded with reference to the creed he pro-
fsseS on Ae to which he attaches himself IL is
very superficial and trivial evidence o the reality and
cleness of ones religious faith and devotional practices
that he belongs to the Catholic Church, that he is
Methodst Unitsrian. Names aud special attach
lenAS and xdyentitious mcnatons OF this sort, are Of
very little consequence The loudest professor may he
the mtrest hyprocfite the most zealous conforis is
apt to be that unchstmn and absurd Of nil
lures, doctrinal bgot aud be whose pcty most
ccpted of his God may be the humbest and the most
unprctcnding and non processing OF them all
We have been led into this trn Of thought by peru
sing the revelations afforded, in Mr., Randall Life Of
Jefferson Of The tome Of this eminent satesmans rei
sios sentiments and the reality and warmth Of his per
sonaI picty Mr.. Jefterson has been much misundef-
stood and peneveringiy msrepresentcd this point
appears by hik writings and the record
Of LIS inner le and daily walk and conversation The
Bible was hi companion, and to II he resoed systena
Cly and confidently for consolation in afdicton, and
instruction in hours of doubt snd inquiry Among other
testimcDy Of this fact Mr. Eaaall mentions that
Early in 1914 In answer TO letter from Mr.. sam
ucl Greenlow who applied to him for aid to Bible
ciey, and who Stated to him that there fascs ia
riginiA destitute If the Bible Mr. Jefferson expressed
his surprise at the latter assertion but presumin tat
the Society had evidence Of the frt he enclosed draft
Of ray dhilsM 10 his correspondent sincerely agreeing
with him that there . snbme system OF
morality delivered 10 thar TO he found 10 ti'e
Sour Esngslists r''E Hc24s s4
clergyman who hasla Conversation With hun one Gay
on miscellaneous subjects said afterwards, TO friend
chat Ne rarded Mr. Jefferson neither an atheist nor
irtciiUotn shAn adding that man OF jnstes -ent
uents be kad met with He said OF himscf, in =
letter u III rfIey that be went to hd without
n hsv q ksf an previous reading Of srthing
ucaa wAeusoa ~ rumate ia the intervals of sleep
and his biog~pbcr states that the book most nsnall
chosen FIJI Th kind of reading conducive 20 correct
s6a dsysGaul upughn was collection I'd extracts rusD
she Bible. He made book with his hands By cut
ting passages from the New Testament consisting mostly