CHAPTER America in a public vessel. XVI. But Paine, instead of being esteemed as formerly as a lover of liberty, whose vig1802. orous pen had contributed to hasten the Declaration of Independence, was now detested by large numbers as the libeler of Washington and the scoffing assailant of the Christian religion; and this marked piece of courtesy extended to him, coupled with Paine's return to America soon after, occasioned a renewal of the attacks upon Jefferson's religious opinions, which had, indeed, been a good deal urged pending the presidential canvass. The first American Free-thinker who went so far as to deny the supernatural origin of the Christian religion appears to have been Jeremiah Dummer, for many years colonial agent of Massachusetts and Connecticut, and celebrated for his "Defense of the New England Charters." Though a grandson of one of the Puritan fathers, and himself a theological student, Dummer had imbibed from personal intercourse the religious opinions of Bolingbroke. But as he was careful to keep them to himself, and as he lived the greater part of his life and died in England, his views could have had little or no influence in America. Yet converts were not wanting there to the same opinions, of whom Franklin was the most illustrious. He, however, at least in his maturer age, was no propagandist. He thought religion necessary for restraining the ignorant and viciously inclined; considered it highly dangerous "to unchain the tiger;" ostensibly adhered to the Church of England; and seems not to have favored any attacks upon current religious ideas. The first work of that kind published in America was Ethan Allen's "Oracles of Reason," which appeared in 1786. That Jefferson entertained similar opinions was evident from several passages in his "Notes on Virginia," published in London in 1787. XVI. The renunciation of the Christian religion by the CHAPTER French republic, and the publication of Paine's "Age of Reason," the first part in 1794, the second part in 1796, 1802. a work extensively circulated in America, not only made a considerable number of converts to Deistical opinions, but emboldened many openly to avow ideas long secretly entertained. Still, the impression was very slight. Of the comparatively small number able and inclined to reason on the topic of religion, by far the greater part stopped short with denying, doubting, or explaining away the divinity of Christ, and, along with it, the doctrines, one or all, of the Trinity, the atonement, total depravity, the new birth, and eternal punishments. A considerable proportion of the Congregational clergy of New En gland, with a certain number of the more intelligent laymen, secretly rejected these dogmas, or doubted with respect to them. But, knowing themselves to be far in advance of the masses, like the Armenians of the times preceding the great revival of 1740, they observed a discreet silence in public. Jefferson's relations to the religious opinions of his country were somewhat peculiar. He believed, like Paine, in a personal God and a future life, but, like him, regarded Christianity, in the supernatural view of it, as a popular fable, an instrument for deluding, misgoverning, and plundering mankind; and these opinions he entertained, as he did most others, with little regard to any qualifying considerations, and with an energy approaching to fanaticism. But he was no more inclined than were the New England Rationalists to become a martyr to the propagation of unpopular ideas. That he left to Paine and others of less discretion or more courage than him. self. He found a safer and more popular way of indulging his sentiments in an avowed and active hostility to CHAPTER America in a public vessel. XVI. But Paine, instead of being esteemed as formerly as a lover of liberty, whose vig1802. orous pen had contributed to hasten the Declaration of Independence, was now detested by large numbers as the libeler of Washington and the scoffing assailant of the Christian religion; and this marked piece of courtesy extended to him, coupled with Paine's return to America soon after, occasioned a renewal of the attacks upon Jefferson's religious opinions, which had, indeed, been a good deal urged pending the presidential canvass. The first American Free-thinker who went so far as to deny the supernatural origin of the Christian religion appears to have been Jeremiah Dummer, for many years colonial agent of Massachusetts and Connecticut, and celebrated for his "Defense of the New England Charters." Though a grandson of one of the Puritan fathers, and himself a theological student, Dummer had imbibed from personal intercourse the religious opinions of Bolingbroke. But as he was careful to keep them to himself, and as he lived the greater part of his life and died in England, his views could have had little or no influence in America. Yet converts were not wanting there to the same opinions, of whom Franklin was the most illustrious. He, however, at least in his maturer age, was no propagandist. He thought religion necessary for restraining the ignorant and viciously inclined; considered it highly dangerous " to unchain the tiger;" ostensibly adhered to the Church of England; and seems not to have favored any attacks upon current religious ideas. The first work of that kind published in America was Ethan Allen's "Oracles of Reason," which appeared in 1786. That Jefferson entertained similar opinions was evident from several passages in his "Notes on Virginia," published in London in 1787. XVI. The renunciation of the Christian religion by the CHAPTER French republic, and the publication of Paine's "Age of Reason," the first part in 1794, the second part in 1796, 1802. a work extensively circulated in America, not only made a considerable number of converts to Deistical opinions, but emboldened many openly to avow ideas long secretly entertained. Still, the impression was very slight. Of the comparatively small number able and inclined to reason on the topic of religion, by far the greater part stopped short with denying, doubting, or explaining away the divinity of Christ, and, along with it, the doctrines, one or all, of the Trinity, the atonement, total depravity, the new birth, and eternal punishments. A considerable proportion of the Congregational clergy of New England, with a certain number of the more intelligent laymen, secretly rejected these dogmas, or doubted with respect to them. But, knowing themselves to be far in advance of the masses, like the Armenians of the times preceding the great revival of 1740, they observed a discreet silence in public. Jefferson's relations to the religious opinions of his country were somewhat peculiar. He believed, like Paine, in a personal God and a future life, but, like him, regarded Christianity, in the supernatural view of it, as a popular fable, an instrument for deluding, misgoverning, and plundering mankind; and these opinions he entertained, as he did most others, with little regard to any qualifying considerations, and with an energy approaching to fanaticism. But he was no more inclined than were the New England Rationalists to become a martyr to the propagation of unpopular ideas. That he left to Paine and others of less discretion or more courage than himself. He found a safer and more popular way of indulg. ing his sentiments in an avowed and active hostility to CHAPTER all public establishments for the support of religion, and XVI. especially to the establishment which, during colonial 1802. times, the Church of England had enjoyed in Virginia and the other Southern States. By the act of Virginia of 1776 suspending the collection of parish rates, confirmed and extended by the Religious Freedom Act of 1785, in both of which enactments Jefferson had a large share, and which had been carried by means of the co-operating jealousy and hatred of the Baptists and Presbyterians, he struck a blow at the Church of England in Virginia from which it has never since recovered. But, even in this disabled state, that church still continued an object of jealousy alike to the Free-thinkers, of whom there were a considerable number among the educated planters, and to the Baptists and other sectaries; and a recent act (1799) had repealed all the laws passed since the Revolution which seemed to acknowledge a corporate character in that church. Still more recently the favorite point had been carried of forfeiting the glebes as fast as they became vacant, to be sold for such purpose, "not religious," as a majority of the parishioners should elect. Jan. This zeal against church establishments having accomplished its end in the Southern States, and having tended, so far as the Dissenters, the majority of the population, were concerned, to promote Jefferson's popularity there, was now directed against the system of the New England churches; furnishing also a strong point of sympathy between Jefferson and the New England sectaries. This hostility to the support of religion by public authority might be consistent enough on the part of Jefferson and of those who agreed with him in regarding the religion of the country as no better than a mischievous delusion. It might also be consistent enough |