The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 7 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
Philosophy
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 7 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
MONTICELLO, December 8, 1822.
SIR,--I have to thank you for your pamphlets on the subject of
Unitarianism, and to express my gratification with your efforts for
the revival of primitive Christianity in your quarter. No historical
fact is better established, than that the doctrine of one God, pure and
uncompounded, was that of the early ages of Christianity; and was among
the efficacious doctrines which gave it triumph over the polytheism of
the ancients, sickened with the absurdities of their own theology. Nor
was the unity of the Supreme Being ousted from the Christian creed by
the force of reason, but by the sword of civil government, wielded at
the will of the fanatic Athanasius. The hocus-pocus phantasm of a God
like another Cerberus, with one body and three heads, had its birth and
growth in the blood of thousands and thousands of martyrs. And a strong
proof of the solidity of the primitive faith, is its restoration, as soon
as a nation arises which vindicates to itself the freedom of religious
opinion, and its external divorce from the civil authority. The pure and
simple unity of the Creator of the universe, is now all but ascendant
in the eastern States; it is dawning in the west, and advancing towards
the south; and I confidently expect that the present generation will
see Unitarianism become the general religion of the United States. The
eastern presses are giving us many excellent pieces on the subject, and
Priestley's learned writings on it are, or should be, in every hand.
In fact, the Athanasian paradox that one is three, and three but one,
is so incomprehensible to the human mind, that no candid man can say he
has any idea of it, and how can he believe what presents no idea? He who
thinks he does, only deceives himself. He proves, also, that man, once
surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the
most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every
wind. With such persons, gullability, which they call faith, takes the
helm from the hand of reason, and the mind becomes a wreck.
I write with freedom, because, while I claim a right to believe in
one God, if so my reason tells me, I yield as freely to others that
of believing in three. Both religions, I find, make honest men, and
that is the only point society has any right to look to. Although this
mutual freedom should produce mutual indulgence, yet I wish not to be
brought in question before the public on this or any other subject, and
I pray you to consider me as writing under that trust. I take no part in
controversies, religious or political. At the age of eighty, tranquillity
is the greatest good of life, and the strongest of our desires that of
dying in the good will of all mankind. And with the assurance of all
my good will to Unitarian and Trinitarian, to Whig and Tory, accept for
yourself that of my entire respect.
TO MR. EDWARD EVERETT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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