Who Said That?

Who Said That?

"The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend all to the happiness of man.

1. That there is one only God, and he all perfect.

2. That there is a future state of rewards and punishments.

3. That to love God with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself, is the sum of religion.

These are the great points on which he endeavored to reform the religion of the Jews. But compare with these the demoralizing dogmas of Calvin.

1. That there are three Gods.

2. That good works, or the love of our neighbor, are nothing.

3. That faith is every thing, and the more incomprehensible the proposition, the more merit in its faith.

4. That reason in religion is of unlawful use.

5. That God, from the beginning, elected certain individuals to be saved, and certain others to be damned; and that no crimes of the former can damn them; no virtues of the latter save.

Now, which of these is the true and charitable Christian?  He who believes and acts on the simple doctrines of Jesus?  Or the impious dogmatists, as Athanasius and Calvin?"

OK--leave your guesses in the comments section below.  Please no google searches or cheating.  You need to guess! 

Update on Monday, April 9, 2007 at 07:34AM by Kim Riddlebarger

These comments come from Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to Benjamin Waterhouse (July 18, 1822).  So, Athanasius and Calvin are both false shepherds (as Jefferson goes on to state)?  Dr. Kennedy--you might want to rethink that Christian America business . . .

Comments

["lee n. field"]

Likes Jesus (in a vague way that doesn't say anything in particular about him). Some Unitarian with an especial animosity towards Calvin. Who? Dunno.

[M Burke]

Thomas Jefferson

[David Gadbois]

That has got to be Servetus.

[zrim]

schliermacher.

zrim

[Ron]

Thomas Jefferson

[Terry W. West]

The phrase "tend to all the happiness of man" would make me lean toward Charles Finney, but of course at least Charles Finney was a trinitarian. I don't know, some oneness pentecostal like William Branham?

[pilgrim]

Complete guess...

Bob Jones

[Jordan]

Let's see, someone who has no understanding of either Jesus or Calvin, let alone the Trinity.

I'm gonna have to guess Jefferson too. Though Servetus has it's merit as well...

[David Cronkhite]

Yes, Servetus.

[Paul]

I like Finney (that is, I like the choice of Finney as a guess) but my gut says "Servetus!"

[Nathan]

I'm going with Jefferson. The first bit is just Deist enough for him, and the latter appropriately condemning of all things sectarian and certain.

[Craig Phelps]

My money is on CG Finney.

[The Highland Host]

Almost certainly Servetus. The anti-Trinitarianism rules out Finney.
Though it might conceivably be Joseph Priestley.

[The Highland Host]

I count four right answers. And mine isn't one of them. Boy, I can see why Samuel Miller repudiated the man the way he did!

[timinator]

A Letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to Benjamin Waterhouse.

[John A]

I have no idea who said it, but as I read it and think of conversations I've had within my evangelical church, it scares me to think that -- if we just take out #1 on each list, which admittedly is a significant "if" -- that many of my fellow congregants would agree with what's left ...

[K-dub]

Dave Hunt

[Martin Downes]

Could be Faustus Socinus

Okay, I've just read Highland Host's comment...Servetus. But Socinus would have given a hearty amen

[mholst]

I was going to say Dave Hunt due to his uneducated assaults on the character and theology of Calvin. However, as far as I know Hunt does not deny the Trinity. So I will stick with Servetus, who to my knowledge did deny the Trinity and did not at all like Calvin.

[scottie f.]

Benjamin Franklin