The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-06-26
THOMAS JEFFERSON.

He never failed to comply with pc
cuniary engagement; his creditors we're
all paid. / was more intimate with him
| than with any man l have ever known;
| his character invited intimacy. Soft
and feminine in his affections to his
family, he entered into and sympathized
with all their feelings, winning them to
| paths of virtue by the soothing gentle.
ness of his nature and manner. His
private apartments were open to me
all the time. saw him under all cir
cumstances while he lived, and since
have reviewed with severe scrutiny
those interviews, and / must say that
never heard from him the expressions of
one thought, feeling. or sentiment in
consistent with the highest moral stand
ard, or the purest Christian charity in
it's most enlarged sense. His moral
character was of the highest order,
founded upon the purest and sternest
models of antiquity. softened. chastened,
and developed by the influence of the
all-pervading benevolence Of the doc
trines of Christ. which he had intensely
and admiringly studied. AS proof of
this he left two Qualifications of the NOR
ais of Jesus. one for himself and an
her for the Indians, the first of which
l now posses; namely, blank volume,
red morocco, gilt lettered on the back
1.-THE Morals of Jesus" in which he
pasted extracts in Greek, Latin, French,
and English taken textually from the
four Gospels, and 80 arranged that he
could run his eye over the readings of
the same verse in four languages.
He never uttered an untruth himself
or used duplicity, and he condemned
it in others. No end with him could
sanity falsehood. In his contemplative
moments his mind turned to religion,
which he studied thoroughly. He had
seen and read much of the abuses and
perversions of Christianity. He abhorred
those abuses and the authors, and de-
nounced them without reserve. He was
regular in his attendance on church,
taking his prayer book with him. He
drew the plan of the Episcopal church
in Charlottesville, was one of the largest
contributors to its erection, and con-
tributed regularly to the support of its
minister. l paid. after his death. his
subscription of 5000 to the erection of
the Presbyterian church in the same
village.
A gentleman of some distinction. call
ing on him, and. expressing his disbelief
in the truth of the Bible. his reply was
"Then. sir you have studied it to little
purpose" He was guilty of no profan-
ity himself. and did not tolerate it in
others. He detested impiety, and his
favorite quotation for his young friends
as a basis for their morals was the
fifteenth psalm OF David. He did not
permit cards in the house; he knew no
game with them. or his peculiar reli-
gious opinions his family know no more
than the world.
II asked by any of them his opinion
on any religious subject his uuiform
reply was that it was a subject each was
bound to study assiduously for himself,
unbiased by the opinions of others; it
was a matter solely of conscience, after
thorough investigation; they were re
sponsible for the righteousness but not
for the rightfulness of their opinions;
that the expression of his opinion
might influence others, and he would
not give it. He never INDUCED in