The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1859-11-10
DANIEL WEBSTER'S CONFESS.
ION OF FAITH.


Rev. Thomas Worcester formerly pas.
tor of the Congregational Church in
Salisbury, N. H., which is accompa.
MED with confession of his religious
faith, both of which are in hs own
handwriting. We have seen Mr..
Websters name in the records of the
church at Salisbury, enrolled among
its members, if we mistake not,
about the time the letter below bears
date. He remained member of that
church till his death The letter and
confession were never before publish.
ed. They are as follows lie.
BoscAwEN, Aug. s, 1907.
DEAR Sir The other day we were
conversing respecting confessions OF
faith. Some time ago wrote down
for my own use few propositions in
the shape of articles, intending to cx.
hibit very short summary of the doc.
trines of the Christian religion as they
impress my mind. have taken the
liberty to enclose a copy for your pc.
rusal. am, sir, with respect, yours,
DC. ID. WEBSTER.
lbelieve in the existence of Almigh-
ty God, who created and governs the
whole world. | am taught this by the
works Of nature and the work OF rev.
clation.
believe that God exists in three
persons this learn from the revela.
lion alone. Nor is it any objection to
this belief that | cannot comprehend
how one can be three or thee one. |
hold it my duty to believe, not what |
can comprehend or account for, but
what my Maker teaches me.
| believe the Scriptures of the Old
and New Testament TO be the will
and word Of God.
| believe Jesus Christ to be the son
Of God. The miracles which he
wrought, establish, in my mind, his
personal authority, and render it prop
er for me to believe whatever he as.
serts; | believe, therefore, all his dec
larations, as well when he declares
himself the Son of God, as when he
declares any other proposition. And
believe there is no other way Of sal.
walton than through the merits of his
atOHemcnt.
! believe that things past, present,
and to come, are all equally present
in the mind Of the Deity; and with
him there is no succession of time,
nor of IDEAS; that, therefore. the rel
alive terms past, present and future,
as used among men, cannot, with strict
propriety, be applied to Deity. | be-
Ieve in the doctrines Of foreknowl-
edge and prcdestiuation, as thus eX'
pounded do not believe in those
doctrines, AS imposing any fatality or
necessity on mems actions, or in any
way infringing free agency.
believe in the utter inability Of
any human being to work out his own
salvation without the constant aids Of
the Spirit Of all grace.
believe in those great peculiarites
of the Christian rellgion--a rcsurrec.
ton from the dead and day Of judg-
mcnt.
believe in the universal Provi-
dcnce of God; and leave to Epicurus
and his more unreasonable followers
in modern times, the inconsistency OF
believing that God made Il world which
he does not take the trouble of govern
ing"
Although have great respect for
some other forms of worship, believe
the Congregational mode, on the
whole. to be preferable to any other.
| believe religion to be matter not
of demonstration. but Of faith. God
requires us to give credit to the truths
which he reveals, not because we can
prove them, but because He declares
them. When the mind is reasonably
convinced that the Bible is the word
Of God, the only remaining duty is to
receive its doctrines with full conf
dcnce OF their truth, and practice them
with pure heart.
J believe that the Bible is to be un.
} derstood and received in the plain and
obvious meaning of its passages; since
cannot persuade myself that II book
intended for the instruction and con-
version Of the whole world, should
cove! its true meaning in such mystic -.
ry aud doubt that none but critics and
philosophers can discover it.
believe that the experiments and
suhleties of human wisdom are more
likely to obsure than 10 enlighten the
revealed will of God, and that he is
the most accompl shed Christian schol-
ar who hath been educated at the feet
of Jesus, and in the College Of Fisher
men.
believe that all true religion con-
sists in heart and the affections, and
that, therefore. all creeds and confess
ions are lallablc and uncertain evil
dcnces of evangelical piety.
Finally, | believe that Christ has
imposed on all his dciplcs a life of ac-
tive benevolence; that he who re.
irains only from what he tunks to be
sinful, has performed but part, and
a small part Of his duty; that he is
: bound to do good and communicate ;
} to love his neighbor, to give food and
drink to his enemy, and to endeavor,
so far as in him lies, to promote peace,
truth, piety, and happiness in wicked
and forIorn world, believing that IN
the great day which is to come, there
will be no other standard of merit, no