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
Knowledge is food for the mind and nourishes and strengthens it as
aliment does the body. Our youth learn to read the books which they
are favoured with in consequence of the discovery of the art of
printing, and they obtain great advantages by means of those books,
while they remain entirely ignorant, many of them, of the art by which
such a favour is put into their hands. But still it is healthy to the
youthful mind, to receive the knowledge of this and other arts, and
even to know that an art so extensively useful was not known in the
world four hundred years ago. A person on being informed of the first
discovery of this art, and of its being practiced, in the first place,
with separate wooden types, might be disposed to doubt the ignorance
of men in those times. He might think it incredible that any thing so
easy, that even children can perform was unknown to the learned world
in those times when learning flourished in ancient Greece and Rome.
And I am of opinion that many now, who are disposed to doubt the
circumstances which attended the first promulgation of the gospel, and
even call themselves unbelievers, do in reality, owe even their
existence and of course every blessing they enjoy to those facts of
which they now doubt. Yes, sir, the light of reason, and the knowledge
of moral principles, on which you feel disposed to place so much
consequence, I am inclined to believe are reflections of that light
which was the delightful theme of the evangelical Isaiah, chapters 6,
7, 8. "I the Lord hath called thee in righteousness, and will hold
thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the
people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring
out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out
of the prison house. I am the Lord; that is my name: and my glory will
I not give to another, nor my praise to graven images." Am I deceived,
sir, or is it evident, that the glorious LIGHT which illuminates our
moral hemisphere, and distinguishes our country from barbarism and
savage ignorance, is the gospel? The name of Jesus, his doctrine, the
reformation, seceding from the Church of England and persecution for
conscience sake, rank as causes of the settlement of New England by
our forefathers, and of the existence of the men who are carrying on
this correspondence. This is mentioned with a view to direct your mind
to the consideration of that course of causes and effects by which we
are enabled to reason on what wo call moral and physical principles.
And a hope is entertained that due regard will be paid to this
self-evident fact, that nothing ever took place without an adequate
cause to produce it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account