Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse, LLD. F.R.S., late president of the American Philosophical Society, &c. : $b interspersed with various notices of many distinguished men : with an appendix, containing sundry philosophical and other papers, most of which have not hitherto been publishedBarton, William
History
Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse, LLD. F.R.S., late president of the American Philosophical Society, &c. : $b interspersed with various notices of many distinguished men : with an appendix, containing sundry philosophical and other papers, most of which have not hitherto been published
The following extract of a letter, which Professor Rusk was so
obliging as to address to the writer of these memoirs, in the spring
of the year 1812, in answer to some questions proposed by the
memorialist, favours the presumption, that our philosopher in some
points dissented from the opinions of very respectable Calvinistic
Divines, on the subject of religion. “I understood from the Rev. Dr.
Green,” says the learned Professor, that his late colleague, the Rev.
Dr. Sproat, had informed him, that in a visit he once paid to Dr.
Rittenhouse, they were led accidentally to converse upon a religious
subject, on which they held different opinions. Dr. Sproat, in
defending his opinions, quoted several texts of scripture; but
observed, after doing so; “Perhaps, Mr. Rittenhouse, you do not admit
of the validity of arguments derived from the bible.” “Pardon me,
Sir,” (said Mr. Rittenhouse,) “I admit the divine authority of the
contents of that book.” Another fact stated by Dr. Rush, at the same
time, and which was also communicated to the memorialist, by a very
near and dear friend of the deceased, is thus related by the Doctor:
“His late worthy companion, Mrs. Rittenhouse, informed me, that the
last sourse from whence he derived intellectual and moral pleasure,
was Dr. Price’s excellent sermon upon the _Goodness of God_, which she
read to him, at his request, on the two successive days before he
died.” It may not be thought unworthy of being remarked on this
occasion, that Mr. T. Dobson, of Philadelphia, republished Price’s
Sermons, in the year 1788, and that Mrs. Rittenhouse’s name appears in
the list of subscribers to that edition.
In Dr. Rush’s letter, just quoted, he introduces the subject in these
terms. “In answer to your question, relative to the religious opinions
of your late uncle and my excellent friend, Dr. Rittenhouse, I am
happy in being able to inform you, that I have no doubt of his having
been a sincere believer in the most essential doctrines of the
Christian religion: the ground upon which I formed this opinion, were
derived not only from many incidental remarks in its favour, that fell
from him in our conversations upon other subjects, but from the
testimony of persons upon whose correctness I have the fullest
reliance.”
Upon the whole it appears, that although our philosopher was, most
probably, not strictly Calvinistical in his religious creed, he was
nevertheless a pious man, and a sincere Christian in the fundamental
articles of his faith.
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