Noah Webster, Salvation Experience

Noah Webster's salvation experience provides great insight into the character of this man who had a profound affect on the education of our country in its founding era. He was a thorough man, not given to emotion or spontaneous impulse, unwilling to be led astray by the majority. You will also note he was a gentleman to his wife and daughters, treating them with love and trust. And, of course, he was an outstanding scholar. In fact, Noah Webster is considered to be the "Founding Father of American Scholarship and Education."

Below is his written testimony, from a letter to his brother-in-law, Judge Thomas Dawes:

"For a number of years just past I have been more and more impressed with the importance of regulating my conduct by the precepts of Christianity. Of the being and attributes of God I have never entertained a doubt, and my studies as well as frequent contemplations on the works of nature have led my mind to most sublime views of His character and perfections...

"Still I had doubts respecting some of the doctrines of the Christian faith, such as regeneration, election, salvation by grace, the atonement, and the divinity of Christ; these doubts served as an apology for my forbearing to make a profession of religion; for though I could never read or hear that solemn declaration of our Savior, 'Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father who is in heaven,' without some compunction and alarm; yet I endeavored to justify my neglect by a persuasion that I could not conscientiously assent to the usual confession required in Calvinistic churches as the condition of admission to their communion,. That is, in plain terms, I sheltered myself as well as I could from the attacks of conscience for neglect of duty under a species of skepticism, and endeavored to satisfy my mind that a profession of religion is not absolutely necessary to salvation. In this state of mind I placed great reliance on good works, or the performance of moral duties as the means of salvation, although I cannot affirm that I wholly abandoned all dependence on the merits of a Redeemer. You may easily suppose that in this state of distraction and indecision of opinions I neglected many duties of piety.

Trinity Church on the Green may have been where the revival took place.

"About a year ago an unusual revival of religion took place in New Haven, and frequent conferences of private meetings for religious purposes were held by pious and well disposed persons in the Congregational societies. I felt some opposition to these meetings, being apprehensive that they would, by affecting the passions too strongly, introduce an enthusiasm or fanaticism which might be considered as real religion. I expressed these fears to some friends and particularly to my family, inculcating on them the importance of a rational religion and the danger of being misled by the passions.

"My wife, however, was friendly to these meetings and she was joined by two eldest daughters who were among the first subjects of serious impressions. I did not forbid but rather discouraged their attendance on conferences...

"These impressions I attempted to remove by reasoning with myself and endeavoring to quiet my mind by a persuasion that my opposition to my family and the awakening was not a real opposition to rational religion but to enthusiasm or false religion. I continued some weeks in this situation, utterly unable to quiet my own mind and without resorting to the only source of peace and consolation. The impressions, however, grew stronger till at length I could not pursue my studies without frequent interruptions. My mind was suddenly arrested, without any previous circumstance of the time to draw it to this subject and, as it were, fastened to the awakening and upon my own conduct. I closed my books, yielded to the influence which could not be resisted or mistaken, and was led by a spontaneous impulse to repentance, prayer, and entire submission and surrender of myself to my Maker and Redeemer. My submission appeared to be cheerful, and was soon followed by that peace of mind which the world can neither give nor take away..." (American Dictionary of the English Language, Republished by Foundation for American Christian Education, (c) 1967, Rosalie J. Slater, pg. 19).