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A UNITARIAN CREED
_To Dr。 Benjamin Waterhouse_
_Monticello； June 26； 1822_
DEAR SIR； I have received and read with thankfulness and
pleasure your denunciation of the abuses of tobacco and wine。 Yet；
however sound in its principles； I expect it will be but a sermon to
the wind。 You will find it as difficult to inculcate these sanative
precepts on the sensualities of the present day； as to convince an
Athanasian that there is but one God。 I wish success to both
attempts； and am happy to learn from you that the latter； at least；
is making progress； and the more rapidly in proportion as our
Platonizing Christians make more stir and noise about it。 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？ Verily I say these are
the false shepherds foretold as to enter not by the door into the
sheepfold； but to climb up some other way。 They are mere usurpers of
the Christian name； teaching a counter…religion made up of the
_deliria_ of crazy imaginations； as foreign from Christianity as is
that of Mahomet。 Their blasphemies have driven thinking men into
infidelity； who have too hastily rejected the supposed author
himself； with the horrors so falsely imputed to him。 Had the
doctrines of Jesus been preached always as pure as they came from his
lips； the whole civilized world would now have been Christian。 I
rejoice that in this blessed country of free inquiry and belief；
which has surrendered its creed and conscience to neither kings nor
priests； the genuine doctrine of one only God is reviving； and I
trust that there is not a _young man_ now living in the United States
who will not die an Unitarian。
But much I fear； that when this great truth shall be
re…established； its votaries will fall into the fatal error of
fabricating formulas of creed and confessions of faith； the engines
which so soon destroyed the religion of Jesus； and made of
Christendom a mere Aceldama； that they will give up morals for
mysteries； and Jesus for Plato。 How much wiser are the Quakers； who；
agreeing in the fundamental doctrines of the gospel； schismatize
about no mysteries； and； keeping within the pale of common sense；
suffer no speculative differences of opinion； any more than of
feature； to impair the love of their brethren。 Be this the wisdom of
Unitarians； this the holy mantle which shall cover within its
charitable circumference all who believe in one God； and who love
their neighbor！ I conclude my sermon with sincere assurances of my
friendly esteem and respect。
SERIATIM OPINIONS AND THE HISTORY OF PARTIES
_To Justice William Johnson_
_Monticello； Oct。 27； 1822_
DEAR SIR； I have deferred my thanks for the copy of your
Life of Genl。 Greene； until I could have time to read it。 This I
have done； and with the greatest satisfaction； and can now more
understandingly express the gratification it has afforded me。 I
really rejoice that we have at length a fair history of the Southern
war。 It proves how much we were left to defend ourselves as we
could； while the resources of the Union were so disproportionately
devoted to the North。 I am glad too to see the Romance of Lee
removed from the shelf of History to that of Fable。 Some small
portion of the transactions he relates were within my own knolege；
and of these I can say he has given more falsehood than fact； and I
have heard many officers declare the same as to what had passed under
their eyes。 Yet this book had begun to be quoted as history。 Greene
was truly a great man； he had not perhaps all the qualities which so
peculiarly rendered Genl。 Washington the fittest man on earth for
directing so great a contest under so great difficulties。
Difficulties proceeding not from lukewarmness in our citizens or
their functionaries； as our military leaders supposed； but from the
pennyless condition of a people； totally shut out from all commerce &
intercourse with the world； and therefore without any means for
converting their labor into money。 But Greene was second to no one
in enterprise； in resource； in sound judgment； promptitude of
decision； and every other military talent。 In addition to the work
you have given us； I look forward with anxiety to that you promise in
the last paragraph of your book。 Lee's military fable you have put
down。 Let not the invidious libel on the views of the Republican
party； and on their regeneration of the government go down to
posterity as hypocritically masked。 I was myself too laboriously
employed； while in office； and too old when I left it； to do justice
to those who had labored so faithfully to arrest our course towards
monarchy； and to secure the result of our revolutionary sufferings
and sacrifices in a government bottomed on the only safe basis； the
elective will of the people。 You are young enough for the task； and
I hope you will undertake it。
There is a subject respecting the practice of the court of
which you are a member； which has long weighed on my mind； on which I
have long thought I would write to you； and which I will take this
opportunity of doing。 It is in truth a delicate undertaking； & yet
such is my opinion of your candor and devotedness to the
Constitution； in it's true spirit； that I am sure I shall meet your
approbation in unbosoming myself to you。 The subject of my
uneasiness is the habitual mode of making up and delivering the
opinions of the supreme court of the US。
You know that from the earliest ages of the English law； from
the date of the year…books； at least； to the end of the IId George；
the judges of England； in all but self…evident cases； delivered their
opinions seriatim； with the reasons and authorities which governed
their decisions。 If they sometimes consulted together； and gave a
general opinion； it was so rarely as not to excite either alarm or
notice。 Besides the light which their separate arguments threw on
the subject； and the instruction communicated by their several modes
of reasoning； it shewed whether the judges were unanimous or divided；
and gave accordingly more or less weight to the judgment as a
precedent。 It sometimes happened too that when there were three
opinions against one； the reasoning of the one was so much the most
cogent as to become afterwards the law of the land。 When Ld。
Mansfield came to the bench he introduced the habit of caucusing
opinions。 The judges met at their chambers； or elsewhere； secluded
from the presence of the public； and made up what was to be delivered
as the opinion of the court。 On the retirement of Mansfield； Ld。
Kenyon put an end to the practice； and the judges returned to that of
seriatim opinions； and practice it habitually to this day； I believe。
I am not acquainted with the late reporters； do not possess them； and
state the fact from the information of others。 To come now to
ourselves I know nothing of what is done in other states； but in this
our great and good Mr。 Pendleton was； after the revolution； placed at
the head of the court of Appeals。 He adored Ld。 Mansfield； &
considered him as the greatest luminary of law that any age had ever
produced； and he introduced into the court over which he presided；
Mansfield's practice of making up opinions in secret & delivering
them as the Oracles of the court； in mass。 Judge Roane； when he came
to that bench； broke up the practice； refused to hatch judgments； in
Conclave； or to let others deliver opinions for him。 At what time
the seriatim opinions ceased in the supreme Court of the US。； I am
not informed。 They continued I know to the end of the 3d Dallas in
1800。 Later than which I have no Reporter of that court。 About that
time the present C。 J。 came to the bench。 Whether he carried the
pr