Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-01
JeiIcrsOn's Religion.

RICHMOND
70 The Editor Of the Dispatch:
Please answer the following questions
I'm your query column and oblige "A sub
sciibsr.
i. What were Thomas Jcferson's re-
lieious beliefs?
.. What is the age Of Colonel Ingersoll?
9. Who is Herbcr, Spencer?
TOUCHSTONE.
T. There has been no little controversy,
and that not always mild or friendly.
in regard To Mr.. Jcnerson's religious
opinions. Professor George Tucker ought.
from his own character, his position in
The university, and his relations with
"rhe Sage Of Monticello" 10 be a highly
competent witness. In his Life Of JEFF
fcrson, H., 40. ~ says: Mr.. jefferson
objected strongly TO the doctrine of the
Trinity, which he considered as irrecon-
cilable with the attributes Of a supreme
intelligence ana almost as disguised athe-
ism. But though he dissented
from the prevailing creeds, his mind
seemed to De seriously and thoroughly
imbued with sentiments Of pure and
exalted theism."
Parton, page III. says that Or. Chan
ming became a very interesting figure
to Mr. Jefferson. and quotes Mr.. Jeffer-
son as follows: when We shall have
done away with the incomprehensible
iargon Of the Trinitarian arithmetic that
three are one and one is three. when We
have knocked down the artificial scat
folding reared to hide from view the
simple structure Of Jesus; when, in short
We shall have unlearned everything taught
since His day, and got back to the pure
and simple doctrines He inculcated, we
shall then be truly and worthily his dis
ciplcs; and my opinion is that if nothing
had been added to what flowed purely
from his lips. the whole world would at
this day have been Christian. .
Had there never been a commentator.
there never would have been an inhdel."
Randall. III, page i5l, says Mr. Jcffer-
son was in the habit Of reading portions
Of the Bible before he retired for the
night and quotes from a letter which he
wrote January o. 1916 TO his revolutionary
friend. Charles Thompson. viz: 81. too,
have a wee-llttlc book which ! call the
philosophy of Jesus. II is a paradigma
OF His doctrines, made by cutting the
texts from the book and arranging them
on the pages of a blank-b book In a GER
tain order OF time or subject. 4 more
beautiful or precious mOrsel Of ethics |
hoo
proof that | am real Christian; that is
70 say. a disciple of the doctrine OF
Jesus, very different from the Platonists
who call me infidel and themselves Chris
tians and preachers Of the Gospel" Warn
"a by Mr.. Jemersons horror Of commen-
tators, the foregoing testimonies are al
lowed to speak for themselves.
2 Colonel Robert Green lngersoll is now
I'm the 6lst year Of his age. having been
born August II. 1893.
3. Herbert Spencer is "A living philo-
sophie English writer of great promi-
hence and distinction. He is one of the
chief advocates. If not the author, OF
the theory OF evolution. He is man
of deep and original thought and has
beer a voluminous writer on psychology.
sociology. and kindred subjects. He is
engaged in grand work on sociology. in
which he is aided by number OF emil
nent specialists. Ii will embrace several
Of the leading nations. with their statistics.
He Is not regarded as very orthodox by
the religious world. but has been of SER
vice TO them by stirring them up and
causing them to subsoil some OF their
own modes OF thinking. Considering his
physical constitution. the length of his
life and the extent and amount OF his
literary labors are truly wonderful He
IS now In his 7ith year. having first APP
peared in 1870