A Series of Letters, in Defence of Divine Revelation: In Reply to Rev. Abner Kneeland's Serious Inquiry into the Authenticity of the Same. To Which is Added, a Religious Correspondence, Between the Rev. Hosea Ballou, and the Rev. Dr. Joseph Buckminster and Rev. Joseph Walton, Pastors of Congregational Churches in Portsmouth, N. H.Ballou, Hosea
Religion
A Series of Letters, in Defence of Divine Revelation: In Reply to Rev. Abner Kneeland's Serious Inquiry into the Authenticity of the Same. To Which is Added, a Religious Correspondence, Between the Rev. Hosea Ballou, and the Rev. Dr. Joseph Buckminster and Rev. Joseph Walton, Pastors of Congregational Churches in Portsmouth, N. H.
Ballou, Hosea
Revelation; Universalism -- Doctrines
I humbly conceive that your observations which regard to the
uprightness of the apostles are too indefinite. You say, "This much,
however, I believe, and of this much I have no doubt, that Paul and
the other apostles were convinced of the truth and the salutary
effects of the moral precepts which had been taught and preached by
Christ; and they were willing to preach and enforce them by all the
means in their power, even at the risk of their lives," &c. And this
you think, "constituted them wise and good men." Here, sir, do you not
leave room for the notion that the apostles would enforce their moral
doctrine with the testimony of the resurrection of Jesus and their
pretensions to miraculous powers, when they had no belief in the
former, and knew the latter to be an imposition? If these men
endeavoured to enforce any principles by practicing such impositions,
however pure those principles were, these men were vile impostors, and
merited all their sufferings. I solemnly protest against the wisdom or
goodness of any man who is an impostor.
I proceed to notice your third proposition, which is as follows:
"3. The facts on which revelation is predicated are unlike every thing
of which we have any positive knowledge." "Of the truth of this
proposition," you say I "must be sensible." You must indulge me, sir,
in saying that you have made a mistake. I am insensible of the
correctness of your statement. The FACTS on which the Christian faith
is predicated, are of that description which come within the
observation of the outward senses of men.
I know of no fact on which Jesus called the people to rest their
faith, that they could not as easily judge of, through the medium of
their senses as of any facts in nature. See John v. 36, "But I have
greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath
given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me, that
the Father hath sent me." 10th, 24th, 25th, "Then came the Jews round
about him, and said unto him, how long doest thou make us to doubt? If
thou be the Christ tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you,
and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they
bear witness of me." 37th, 38th, "If I do not the works of my Father,
believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the
works; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in
him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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