Unitarian Minister Thomas Belsham Pens A Powerful Religious Letter

Book Description

ALS. 3pg. 8 ¾” x 7 1”4. July 30, 1821. London. An autograph letter signed “T. Belsham” addressed to Mr. Henry D. Sewall of New York. The letter contains very interesting content about the Unitarian church and various Protestant writers: “…Everything which my friend M. Everett writes cannot fail to bear the marks of a superior and highly cultivated mind. And the greater part of his discourses at the opening of the new chapel is not only unexceptionable [sic] but admirable. But I must say there are some things to which I can by no means subscribe…my firm opinion is that Truth must be discovered by those who will dig for it as for hidden treasure - that when discovered it is not to be put under a bushel but in a candlestick to give light to the house: in other words it ought to be calmly but openly and firmly professed - and that it is an imperative duty upon those whom God hath enlightened by his word to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. What! Do we not know that Transsubstantiation is a gross and dangerous error because Fenelon and Pascal and Bossuet believed it. And do we not also know that the doctrine of the Trinity in all its forms is a gross delusion because Luther and Calvin and Crammer and other informers believed it!... NO, No, we must not sacrifice the immortal course of truth to the love of ease…Not that I think it necessary to cast pearls before swine; and to obtrude our peculiar sentiments where they are neither asked for nor desired. But when required I would plainly, calmly and honestly state them with my reasons for holding them and would never betray the cause of truth by pretending to doubt of that which is as clear as daylight. It is in vain however to call upon Unitarians in American to guard against a polemical and controversial spirit. Fortunately, your adversaries will not suffer you to lie quite but will by their bellowings rouse you from your slumbers if you are ever so drowsy…Capt. Thrush of Yorkshire who has lately addressed a letter to the Legislature on the subject of the coronation oath: which he request may be so worded as not to bring the monarch from assenting to…in the religious establishment. It contains many excellent things and through my friend M. Vaughan I will endeavour to send you a copy. It always does good when a layman writes upon Theology because he cannot be represented as an interested advocate. My time is almost wholly employed in correcting my Version a Paraphrase of Paul’s Epistles which if I have I hope to carry through the press by Christmas.” Belsham’s Epistles of Paul came out in 1822, and became the most important translation produced by Belsham. The letter is a very interesting example of Belsham’s powerful, sermon-like writing style. It is mounted on another sheet of paper, which includes a newspaper clipping pertaining to Belsham. There is a large tear on the left side of the third page that cuts out some text, and another tear on the right side that does not touch the text. A full handwritten transcript is provided.

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