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09 - Letters of John Quincy Adams to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings by John Quincy Adams · Letters of John Quincy Adams to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings

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  Speaker 1: Section eight of Letters of John Quincy Adams to his
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  Speaker 1: son on the Bible and its teachings. This LibriVox recording
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  Speaker 1: is in the public domain. Read by Dale Barklay Letter eight.
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  Speaker 1: The whole system of Christianity appears to have been set
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  Speaker 1: forth by its divine author in his Sermon on the Mount,
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  Speaker 1: recorded in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew.
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  Speaker 1: I intend hereafter to make them the subject of remarks
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  Speaker 1: much more at large. For the present, I confine myself
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  Speaker 1: merely to general views. What I would impress upon your
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  Speaker 1: mind is infinitely important to the happiness and virtue of
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  Speaker 1: your life, as the general spirit of Christianity and the
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  Speaker 1: duties which results from it. In my last letter, I
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  Speaker 1: showed you from the very words of our Savior that
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  Speaker 1: he commanded his disciples to aim at absolute perfection, and
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  Speaker 1: that this perfection consisted in self subjugation and brotherly love,
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  Speaker 1: in the complete conquest of our own and in the
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  Speaker 1: practice of benevolence to our fellow creatures. Among the Grecian
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  Speaker 1: systems of moral philosophy, that of the Stoics resembles the
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  Speaker 1: Christian doctrine in the particular of requiring the total subjugation
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  Speaker 1: of the passions, and this part of the Stoic principles
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  Speaker 1: was adopted by the academies. You will find the question
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  Speaker 1: discussed with all the eloquence and ingenuity of Cicero in
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  Speaker 1: the fourth of his Tusculan Disputations, which I advise you
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  Speaker 1: to read and meditate upon. You will there find proved
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  Speaker 1: the duty of subduing the passions. It is sometimes objected
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  Speaker 1: that this theory is not adapted to the infirmities of
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  Speaker 1: human nature, that it is not made for a being
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  Speaker 1: so constituted as man, that an earth and vessel is
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  Speaker 1: not formed to dash itself against a rock, That in
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  Speaker 1: yielding to the impulses of the passions, man only follows
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  Speaker 1: the dictates of his nature, that to subdue them entirely
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  Speaker 1: is an effort beyond his powers. The weakness and frailty
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  Speaker 1: of our nature it is not possible to deny. It
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  Speaker 1: is too strongly tested by all human experience, as well
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  Speaker 1: as by the whole tenor of the scriptures. But the
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  Speaker 1: degree of weakness must be measured by the efforts to
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  Speaker 1: overcome it, and not by indulgence to it. Once admit
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  Speaker 1: weakness as an argument to forbear exertion, and it results
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  Speaker 1: in absolute impotence. It is also very inconclusive reasoning to
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  Speaker 1: infer that because perfection is not absolutely to be obtained,
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  Speaker 1: it is therefore not to be sought. Human excellence consists
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  Speaker 1: in approximation to perfection, and the only means of approaching
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  Speaker 1: to any term is by endeavoring to obtain the term itself.
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  Speaker 1: With these convictions upon the mind, with a sincere and
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  Speaker 1: honest effort to practice upon them, and with the aid
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  Speaker 1: of a divine blessing which is promised to it, the
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  Speaker 1: approaches to perfection may at least be so great as
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  Speaker 1: to nearly answer all the ends which absolute perfection itself
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  Speaker 1: could attain. All exertion, therefore is virtue. And if the
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  Speaker 1: tree be judged by its fruit, it is so certain
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  Speaker 1: that all the most virtuous characters of Heathen antiquity were
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  Speaker 1: the disciples of the Stoic doctrine. But let it even
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  Speaker 1: be admitted that a perfect command of the passions is
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  Speaker 1: unattainable to human infirmity, it will still be true that
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  Speaker 1: the degree of moral excellence possessed by any individual is
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  Speaker 1: an exact proportion to the degree of control he exercises
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  Speaker 1: over himself. According to the Stoics, all vice was resolvable
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  Speaker 1: into folly. According to the Christian principle, it is all
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  Speaker 1: the effect of weakness. In order to preserve the dominion
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  Speaker 1: of our own passions, it behooves us to be constantly
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  Speaker 1: and strictly on our guard against the influence and infection
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  Speaker 1: of the passions of others. This caution, above all is
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  Speaker 1: necessary to youth, and I deem it indispensable to enjoin
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  Speaker 1: it upon you, Because as kindness and benevolence comprise the
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  Speaker 1: whole system of Christian duties, there may be, and often is,
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  Speaker 1: great danger of falling into errors and vice, merely for
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  Speaker 1: the want of energy to resist the example or enticement
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  Speaker 1: of others. On this point, the true character of Christian
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  Speaker 1: morality appears to me to have been misunderstood by some
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  Speaker 1: of its ablest and warmest defenders. In Paley's view of
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  Speaker 1: the evidences of Christianity, there is a chapter upon the
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  Speaker 1: morality of the Gospel, the general tenor of which, as
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  Speaker 1: of the whole work, is excellent, but in which there
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  Speaker 1: is the following passage. There are two opposite descriptions of
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  Speaker 1: character under which mankind may generally be classed. The one
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  Speaker 1: possesses vigor, firmness, resolution, is active and daring, quick in
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  Speaker 1: its sensibilities, jealous of its fame, eager in its attachments,
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  Speaker 1: inflexible of its purposes, violent in its resentment. The other meek, yielding,
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  Speaker 1: complying forgiving, not prompt to act, but willing to suffer,
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  Speaker 1: Silent and gentle under rudeness and insults, suing for reconciliation
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  Speaker 1: where others would demand satisfaction, giving a way to the
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  Speaker 1: push of impudence, conceding an indulgent to the prejudices, the
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  Speaker 1: wrong headedness, the intractability of others with whom it has
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  Speaker 1: to deal. The former of these characters is and ever
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  Speaker 1: has been, the favorite of the world. It is the
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  Speaker 1: character of great men. There is a dignity in which
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  Speaker 1: it commands respect. The latter is poor, spirited, tame and abject.
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  Speaker 1: Yet so it has happened that with the Founder of Christianity,
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  Speaker 1: the latter is the subject of his commendation, his precepts,
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  Speaker 1: his example, and that the former is so in no
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  Speaker 1: part of its composition. Doctor Paley in this place adopts
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  Speaker 1: the opinion of so. M. Jennings, whose essay on the
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  Speaker 1: Internal Evidences of Christianity he strongly recommends, but I cannot
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  Speaker 1: consider it either as an accurate and discerning delineation of character,
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  Speaker 1: nor as exhibiting a correct representation of Christian principles. The
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  Speaker 1: founder of Christianity did indeed pronounce distinct and positive blessings
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  Speaker 1: upon the poor and spirit, which is by no means
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  Speaker 1: synonymous with the poor spirited and upon the meek. But
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  Speaker 1: in what part of the Gospel did doctor Paley find
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  Speaker 1: him countenancing by commendation, by preceptor example, the tame and abject.
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  Speaker 1: The character which Christ assumed upon earth was that of
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  Speaker 1: a lord and master. It was in that character his
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  Speaker 1: disciples received and acknowledged him. The obedience he required was unbounded,
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  Speaker 1: infinitely beyond that which was ever claimed by the most absolute,
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  Speaker 1: earthly sovereign of his subjects. Never for one moment did
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  Speaker 1: he recede from this authoritative station. He preserved it, and
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  Speaker 1: washing the feet of his disciples. He preserved it in
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  Speaker 1: answer to the officer who struck him for this very deportment.
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  Speaker 1: To the high priest. He preserved it in the agony
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  Speaker 1: of his ejaculation on the cross. Father, forgive them, for
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  Speaker 1: they know not what they do. He expressly declared himself
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  Speaker 1: the prince of this world and the son of God.
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  Speaker 1: He spoke as one having authority, not only to his disciples,
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  Speaker 1: but to his mother, to his judges, to Pilot the
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  Speaker 1: Roman governor, to John the Baptist, his precursor. And there
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  Speaker 1: is not in the four Gospels one act, not one
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  Speaker 1: word recorded of him, excepting his communion with God. There
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  Speaker 1: was not a direct or implied assertion of authority. He
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  Speaker 1: said to his disciples, learn of me, for I am
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  Speaker 1: meek and lowly of heart, et cetera. But where did
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  Speaker 1: he ever say to them, learn of me, for I
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  Speaker 1: am tame and abject. There is certainly nothing more strongly
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  Speaker 1: marked in the precepts and examples of Christ than the
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  Speaker 1: principle of stubborn and inflexible resistance against the impulses of
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  Speaker 1: others to evil. He taught his disciples to renounce everything
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  Speaker 1: that is counted enjoyment upon earth, to take up their cross,
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  Speaker 1: and to suffer ill treatment, persecution, and death for his sake.
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  Speaker 1: What else is the book of the Acts of the
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  Speaker 1: Apostles in a record of the faithfulness with which these
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  Speaker 1: chosen ministers of the Gospel carried These injunctions into execution
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  Speaker 1: In the conduct and speeches of Peter, John and Paul.
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  Speaker 1: Is there anything that could justly be called tame or abject?
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  Speaker 1: Is there anything indicating a resemblance to the second class
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  Speaker 1: of character into which doctor Paley divides all mankind. If
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  Speaker 1: there is a character upon historical record distinguished by a bold, inflexible, tenacious,
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  Speaker 1: and intrepid spirit, it is that of Paul. It was
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  Speaker 1: to such characters only that the commission to teach all
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  Speaker 1: nations could be committed with certainty of success. Observe the
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  Speaker 1: impression of Christ in his charge to Peter a rock,
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  Speaker 1: And upon this rock I will build my church, and
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  Speaker 1: the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. Doctor
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  Speaker 1: Paley's Christian is one of those drivelers who, to use
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  Speaker 1: a vulgar phrase, can never say no to anybody. The
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  Speaker 1: true Christian is the justom at tenasim propositi virum of Horace,
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  Speaker 1: the man who is just and steady to his purpose.
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  Speaker 1: The combination of these qualities so essential to heroic character,
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  Speaker 1: with those of meekness, lowliness of heart, and brotherly love
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  Speaker 1: is what constitutes that moral perfection of which Christ gave
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  Speaker 1: an example in his own life. And to which he
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  Speaker 1: commands his disciples to aspire. Endeavor, my dear son, to
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  Speaker 1: discipline your heart, and to govern your conduct by these
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  Speaker 1: principles thus combined, Be meek, be gentle, be kindly affectionate
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  Speaker 1: to all mankind, not accepting your enemies. But never be
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  Speaker 1: tame or abject. Never give way to the pushes of impudence,
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  Speaker 1: or show yourself yielding or complying to prejudice, wrongheadedness, or intractability,
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  Speaker 1: which would lead or draw you astray from the dictates
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  Speaker 1: of your own conscience and your own sense of right.
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  Speaker 1: Till you die. Let not your integrity depart from you.
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  Speaker 1: Build your house upon the rock, and then let the
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  Speaker 1: rains descend, and the floods come, and the winds blow
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  Speaker 1: and beat upon that house. It shall not fall. It
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  Speaker 1: will be founded upon a rock. So promises your blessed
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  Speaker 1: Lord and Master, And so praise your affectionate father, John
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  Speaker 1: Quincy Adams, end of section eight.