A Defence of the Christian Religion: And of the Religious Instruction of the Young. Delivered in the Supreme Court of the United States, February 10, 1844, in the Case of Stephen Girard's Will |
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Alcibiades appointment argument Atheism authority believe bequest BINNEY cast character charity child Chris Christian ministry Christian religion Christian world Christianity and religion Church of England clashing doctrines clergymen common law conscience court of equity creeds declared denominations devise Divine duty eighteen Episcopalian established excluded favor gion Girard gospel Honors human infidelity institution instructors Jewish laws of Pennsylvania lay preachers laymen learned friend liberty little children Lord Lord's day ment minds ministers ministers of religion morality object opinion ordinary means orphans parents poor preaching precepts principles profession province of Pennsylvania provision public policy public worship Quakers reason referred regarded rejects the ordinary religious instruction religious tenets Sabbath scheme Scriptures sectarian sects seminary shut social society spirit statutes subvert Suffer little children taught teachers teaching Testament thing Thomas Paine THOMAS SEWALL thou tion true truth unto walls WEBSTER welfare whole William Penn word
Popular passages
Page 32 - And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Page 29 - I have commanded you, and lo ! I am with you alway, even to the end of the world.
Page 8 - cast any reflection upon any sect or person whatso"ever; but as there is such a multitude of sects, and "such a diversity of opinion amongst them, I desire to "keep the tender minds of the orphans, who are to de"rive advantage from this bequest, free from the "excitement which clashing doctrines and sectarian "controversy are so apt to produce; my desire is, that "all the instructors and teachers in the college shall VOL.
Page 71 - Christianity, general Christianity, is, and always has been, a part of the common law of Pennsylvania ; . . . not Christianity with an established church, and tithes, and spiritual courts ; but Christianity with liberty of conscience to all men.
Page 6 - And so far as regards the residue of my personal estate, in trust, as to two millions of dollars, part thereof, to apply and expend so much of that sum as...
Page 8 - ... that all the instructors and teachers in the college shall take pains to instil into the minds of the scholars the purest principles of morality, so that on their entrance into active life, they may from inclination and habit, evince benevolence towards their fellow-creatures and a love of truth, sobriety, and industry, adopting at the same time such religious tenets as their matured reason may enable them to prefer.
Page 8 - I enjoin and require that no ecclesiastic, missionary, or minister of any sect whatsoever, shall ever hold or exercise any station or duty whatever in the said college ; nor shall any such person ever be admitted for any purpose, or as a visitor, within the premises appropriated to the purposes of the said college...
Page 71 - There is nothing, certainly, more unreasonable, more inconsistent with the rights of human nature, more contrary to the spirit and precepts of the Christian religion, more iniquitous and unjust, more impolitic, than persecution. It is against natural religion, revealed religion, and sound policy.
Page 6 - Twelfth streets, shall be enclosed with a solid wall, at least fourteen inches thick and ten' feet high, capped with marble and guarded with irons on the top so as to prevent persons from getting over...
Page 66 - The generations that are gone before speak to it, and pronounce it from the tomb. We feel it. All, all, proclaim that Christianity-, general, tolerant Christianity, Christianity independent of sects and parties, that Christianity to which the sword and the fagot are unknown, general, tolerant Christianity, is the law of the land.