'Daniel Webster, 1782-1852 American Statesman, Orator, Patriot, Lawyer
Can we forget the faith of our forefathers, that faith upon which our nation was founded?
One of the greatest speeches ever made was Daniel Webster's address delivered at the completion of the Bunker Hill Monument, on June 17th, 1843. Speaking of the coming of the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World, he said, 'They brought with them a full portion of riches of the past, in science, art, morals, religion, and literature. The Bible came with them. The Bible is a book of faith and a book of doctrine; it teaches man his own responsibility, his own dignity, and his equality with his fellow man.'
In the presence of Professor Sanborn of Dartmouth College, Mr. Webster laid his hand on a copy of the Scriptures, saying with great emphasis, 'This is THE book. I have read through the entire Bible many times. I make it a practice to go through it once a year. It is the book of all others for lawyers as well as divines; I pity the man that cannot find in it a rich supply of thought and rules for his conduct. It fits man for life - it prepares him for death.'
The following is from a confession of faith written by Daniel Webster to his pastor in 1807:
'I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. The miracles which He wrought establish in my mind His personal authority and render it proper for me to believe whatever He asserts.
I believe therefore all His declarations, as well when He declares Himself to be Son of God as when he declares any other proposition.
I believe there is no other way of salvation than through the merits of His atonement.
I believe that the Bible is to be understood and received in the plain obvious meaning of its passages since I cannot persuade myself that a book intended for the instruction and conversion of the whole world should cover its meaning in any such mystery and doubt that none but critics and philosophers can discover it."