Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-07-28
Daniel websters Confession of Faith

iel Webster to Rev. Thomas Worces-
ter, formerly pastor of the Congrega-
tional Church, in Salisbury, N. H.,
which is accompanied with a confess
sion of his religious faith, both of
which are in his own handwriting.
Mr.. Webster's name appears in the
records of the church in Salisbury en-
rolled among its members, if we mis-
take not, about the time this letter
below bears date. He remained a
member of that church until his
death. The letter and confession is
as follows:
BosCAwEN, Aug. s, lSO7-Dear
Sir: The other day we were convers-
ing respecting confessions of faith.
Some time ago | wrote down for my
own use a few propositions in the
shape of articles, intending to exhibit
a very short summary of the doc
trines of the Christian religion as they
impress my mind. | have taken the
liberty to enclose copy for your pc
rusal. / am with respect, sir,yours,
etc. ID. WEBSTER.
[ believe in the existence of Al
mighty God, who created and gov
ems the whole world. 1 am taught
this by the works of nature and the
word of revelation.
I believe that God exists in three
persons; this | learn from revelation
alone. Nor is it any objection to this
belief that I cannot comprehend how
one can be three, or three one. l 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.
l believe Jesus Christ to be the Son
of God. The miracles which he
wrought establish, to my mind, hiS
personal authority, and render il
proper for me to believe whatever he
asserts. believe, therefore, all hi
declarations as we'll when he declares
himself the Son of God as when HI
declares any other proposition, and
believe there is no other way Of sal
walton than through the merits of hi
atonement.
l believe that things past, presen
and to come are all equally presen
in the mind of the Deity; that wit
him there is no succession Q
time nor of ideas; that, therefore, tn
relative terms past, present and fu
ture, as used among men, cannot wit
strict propriety be applied to Deity.
[ believe in the doctrines of fore
knowledge and predestination, a
thus eXpounded.
/ do not believe in those doctrine
us imposing any fatality or necessit
on mans actions, or in any way il
tringing. p .
| believe in the utter inability {
any human being to work out h
own salvation without the constar
aids of the spirit of all grace.
believe in those great peculiar
arities of the Christian religion
resurrection from the dead and ola
ofjudgment.
l believe in the universal prov
dence of God, and leave to Epicurl
and his more unreasonable followe
in modern times the inconsistency
believing that God made worl
which he does not take the trouble
governing.
Although / have great respect fl
some other forms of worship, l b
lieve the Congregational mode, c
the whole, to be preferable to ar
other.
believe religion to be a matter n
of demonstration but of faith. Go
requires us to give credit to the trut
which he reveals, not because we CO
prove them, but because he declar
them. When the mind is reasonab
convinced that the Bible is t
word of God, the only remainil
duty is to receive its doctrines wi
full confidence of their truth al
practice them with a pure heart.
I believe that the Bible is to be u
derstood and received in the pla
and obvious meaning of its passage
since l cannot persuade myself tn
a book intended for the instructi
and conversion of the whole wOl
should cover its true meaning in SUI
mystery and doubt that none but or
les and philosophers can discover
| believe that the experiments a
subtleties of human wisdom are me
likely to obscure than to enlight