The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-03-24
Daniel Web.lsr,, Conles,lon of Fniih [

to Rev. Thomas Worcester, formerly
pastor of the Congregational Church
at Salisbury, N. III. Mr.. Webster
was a member of the Church at Sal
isbury till his death. This letter and
confession were never before publish.
ed. They are as follows:
BoscAwEN, Aug. 8, 1S47.
DEAR SIR The other day we
were conversing respecting confess.
ions of faith. Some time ago l wrote
down for my own use a few proposi-
tons in the shape of articles, intend.
ing to exhibit very short summary
of the doctrines of the Christian re.
ligion rs they impress my mind. /
have taken the trouble to enclose o
copy for your perusal.
I am, sir, yours &C.,
d. WEBSTER.
/ believe in the existence of AL.
mighty God, who created and gov.
erns the whole world. / am taught
this by the works of nature and the
word of revelation.
believe that God exists in three
persons this | learn from revelation
alone. Nor is il any objection to this
belief that / cannot comprehend how
one can be three or three one--I hold
it my duty to believe, not what l 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
proper to me to believe whatever he
asserts l believe, therefore, all his
declarations, rs well when he declares
himself the Son of God, as when he
declares any other proposition And
l believe there is no other way of sal.
vation but through the merits of his
atoncment.
believe things past, present and
to come, are all equally present in the
mind of the Deity; that with him
there is no succession of time, nor OF
ideas that, therefore, the relative
terms past, present aud future, can
not with strict proprity, be applied
to Deity
believe in the doctrines of fore.
knowledge and predestination, as
thus eXpounded. l do not believe
in those doctrines, rs imposing any
fatality or necessity on mems actions,
or any way infringing free agency
believe in the utter inability OF
any human heing to work out his own
salvation without the constant aid OF
the spirit Of all grace.
l believe in the universal Provi.
dence cf God; and leave to Epicusus
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
governing.*
Although l have great respect for
some other forms of worship, I be-
lieve the Congregational mode, on
the whole. to be preferable TO any
other.
believe religion TO be n 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 remain.
ing duty is to receive Its doctrines,
with full confidence of their truth,
and practice them with O. pure heart
! believe that the Bible Is TO he un.
derstood aud received in the plair and
obvious meaning Of its passages
since cannot persuade myself tina,
book intended for the instruction
and the conversion OF the whole
world, should cover its true meaning
in such mystery and doubt, that none
Int critics and philosophers can dis.
cover it.
Ibelieve that the experiments and
subtleties Of human wisdom are more
likely to obscure than to enlighten
the revealed will of God, and that he
is the most accomplished Christian
scholar who hath been educated at the
feet Of Jesus, aud in the College OF
Fishermen.
believe that all true religion con.
sists in the heart and affections, and
that, therefore, all creeds and con-
fessions are fallible and uncertain ey.
licences OF evangelical piety.
Finally, I believe that Christ has
imposed on all his disciples life of
active benevolence that he who re.
strains only from what he thinks to
be sinful, has performed but a part, a
small part, of his duty; that he is
bound to do good and communicate,
to love his neighbor, so far rs in him
lies, to promote peace, truth, piety
and happiness in wicked and for.
lorn world, believing that in the great
day which is to come, there will be
no other standard of merit no other
criterion Of character, than that which
is already established. "By their
fruits ye shall know them"
an nj.