Sunday, January 9, 2011

Noah Webster's Confession


Romans 10:8-11 “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

I had heard from American Historian David Barton that Founding Father Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843), of Webster’s Dictionary fame, published the first American dictionary in 1828. And included in the introduction was Noah’s Christian testimony and confession of Jesus Christ as Savior. I’ve searched high & low for a copy of this first dictionary, to no avail. But lately, I found a digit copy on Compact Disk (CD) and love it. I’ve added his confession below for all of you to read, because I was surprised to read that Noah struggled with doubts and fears of mis-guided beliefs and an insincere faith, works and duty. He, like us, desired to experience the “real” thing and know Truth.

Noah wrtoe: “For a number of years just past, I have been more and more impressed with the importance of regulating my conduct by the precepts of Christianity. Of the being and attributes of God I have never entertained a doubt, and my studies as well as frequent contemplations on the works of nature have led my mind to most sublime views of His character and perfections. …


“Still I had doubts respecting some of the doctrines of the Christian faith, such as regeneration, election, salvation by free grace, the atonement, and the divinity of Christ; these doubts served as an apology for my forbearing to make a profession of religion; for though I could never read or hear that solemn declaration of our Savior, ‘Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father who is in heaven,’ without some compunction and alarm. That is, in plain terms, I sheltered myself as well as I could from the attacks of conscience for neglect of duty under a species of skepticism, and endeavored to satisfy my mind that a profession of religion is not absolutely necessary to salvation. In this state of mind I placed great reliance on good works or the performance of moral duties as the means of salvation, although I cannot affirm that I wholly abandoned all dependence on the merits of a Redeemer. You may easily suppose that in this state of distraction and indecision of opinions I neglected many duties of piety.”


“About a year ago an unusual revival of religion took place in New Haven, and frequent conferences of private meetings for religious purposes were held by pious and well disposed persons in the Congregational societies. I felt some opposition to these meetings, being apprehensive that they would, by affecting the passions too strongly, introduce an enthusiasm or fanaticism which might be considered as real religion. I expressed these fears to some friends and particularly to my family, inculcating on them the importance of a rational religion and the danger of being misled by the passions.”

“These impressions I attempted to remove by reasoning with myself and endeavoring to quiet my mind by a persuasion that my opposition to my family and the awakening was not a real opposition to rational religion but to enthusiasm or false religion. I continued some weeks in this situation, utterly unable to quiet my own mind and without resorting to the only source of peace and consolation. The impressions, however, grew stronger till at length I could not pursue my studies without frequent interruptions. My mind was suddenly arrested, without any previous circumstance of the time to draw it to this subject and, as it were, fastened to the awakening and upon my own conduct. I closed my books, yielded to the influence which could not be resisted or mistaken, and was led by a spontaneous impulse to repentance, prayer, and entire submission and surrender of myself to my Maker and Redeemer. My submission appeared to be cheerful, and was soon followed by that peace of mind which the world can neither give nor take away.”

Our Founding Fathers were no different than us today in our coming to the profession of “saving” faith and the Devine work necessary for our conversion by the Holy Spirit. May our transformed hearts and minds focus on the Lord and His purposes for us and our fellow man, and may this regeneration translate into action with the confidence that God is with us every step. And why is this confession not in the new Webster's dictionary today?

John 14:23-27 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

In Christ, Brian

2 comments:

RCUBEs said...

That's a beautiful testimony of a heart transformed by the Lord. I'm glad you were able to get a copy at least and thank you for sharing it with us. It's nice to be reminded that it is not our own actions that save us. Only Him...Blessings to you bro. Brian.

child of God said...

What a great find and testimony!

Thank you for sharing that.
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