Some time since, your Mama and I received two letters from you at once—the first to your Mama was dated 18th. January, and the other to me 5th: February—I was glad to see that you had taken pains to write them as well as you could and that your hand-writing was improved.—I intreat you my Dear Son, to pay constant attention to your hand-writing—It is now more than four years since you first...
2From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, May 1810 (Adams Papers)
I write to you both together, to assure you that although far distant from you, I always bear you both in my thoughts with tender affection—I hope that when you receive this letter, you will both be able to read, and understand it, and that you, George, will also be able to write me an answer to it—The greatest pleasure that you can give to you Parents, is to pursue your Studies with...
I have not had the pleasure of hearing from you since I wrote you last; but having an opportunity, which now seldom happens, of sending letters to America, I will not let it pass, without writing you to inform you that your Mamma, and brother Charles, with myself are in as good health as the excessive cold weather of this Country and Season will admit—But I shall not have time at present to...
In your letter of 18 January to your Mama, you mentioned that you read to your Aunt Cranch a chapter in the Bible, or a Section of Dr. Doddridges annotations every evening, this information gave me great pleasure, for so great is my veneration for the Bible & so strong my belief that when duly read & meditated upon, it is of all the books in the world, that which contributes most to make men...
In your letter of 18. January to your Mama, you mentioned that you read to your Aunt Cranch a Chapter in the Bible, or a Section of Dr: Doddridge’s annotations every Evening—This information gave me great pleasure, for so great is my veneration for the Bible, and so strong my belief that when duly read and meditated upon, it is of all the books in the world that which contributes most to make...
The first point of view, in which I have invited you to consider the Bible, is in the light of a Divine Revelation . And what are we to understand by these terms?—I intend as much as possible to avoid the field of controversy, with which I am not well acquainted, and for which I have little respect, and still less inclination—My idea of the Bible as a Divine Revelation , is founded upon its...
7From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
Upon looking back on the list of my Letters sent to America, I am surprized to find that the last I wrote you was dated so long ago, as the 13th: of September; but the causes of this long silence have not been from any abatement of my affection for you. During the whole of the last Winter, and untill I left St: Petersburg to come upon my present Journey I did not receive a line from you—There...
We were considering the Bible in its historical character, and as the history of a Family—From the moment when the universal History finishes, that of Abraham begins, and thenceforward it is the history of a family of which Abraham is the first and Jesus Christ the last person. And from the first appearance of Abraham, the whole history appears to have been ordered from age to age expressly to...
Your Mama and I have received your letter dated the 28th: of February last; which gave us much pleasure—I suppose by the hand-writing that your Cousin Susan was kind enough to write it for you; for which we thank her.—By the time when you will receive this I hope you will be able to write me an answer to it yourself: and I shall expect you write to me, or to your Mama, as often as you know of...
10From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 27 September 1812 (Adams Papers)
I wrote a few days ago to your Grandmama, and desired her to inform you, and your brother John, of the heavy misfortune that had just befallen us, in the loss of your Sister, who after a very severe illness of four weeks, left this world, I trust for a better, on the morning of the 15th. of this Month.—I need not tell you how much distressed your Parents are at this afflicting dispensation of...
11From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 18 June 1812 (Adams Papers)
In the course of the last Autumn and Winter, I wrote you five Letters on a particular, but most interesting subject; one of which I perceive by yours of 18. December you had then received—Soon after writing the last of them I became engaged in occupations which stopp’d me in the progress of my plan to continue that Series of Letters, and afterwards during the remainder of the Winter, my own...
12From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 23 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
The whole system of Christian morality appears to have been set forth, by its divine author in the sermon upon the mount, recorded in the 5th: 6th: and 7th: Chapters of St: Matthew. I intend hereafter to make them the subject of remarks, much more at large.—For the present I confine myself merely to general views. What I would impress upon your mind as infinitely important to the happiness and...
13From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 22 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
My last letter contained the substance but not the form of an argument for considering the Bible as a divine Revelation. It explicitly stated the three points of belief which I deemed indispensable to the happiness the virtue and improvement of mankind.—1. The existence of one God, the Creator and Governor of the Universe and particularly of mankind—2. The immortality of the Soul—3. A future...
14From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 29 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
The second general point of view, in which I propose to you to consider the Bible, to the great end that it may “thoroughly furnish you unto all good works,” is in its historical character. To a man of liberal education the study of History is not only useful and important, but altogether indispensable; and with regard to the History contained in the Bible, the observation which Cicero makes...
15From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 18 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
I received with much pleasure your letter of 15. March last, written in French; for although it bears some marks of carelessness, it proved to me two things, about which I am not a little concerned—The first that you have not wholly neglected the French language; and the second that you have made some improvement in your hand-writing.— The words of your letter are all good French, but there...
16From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 7 March 1813 (Adams Papers)
In considering the law of the Hebrews as delivered by the creator of the world to Moses with reference only to its moral precepts the character by which it is most strikingly distinguished from all the other codes of antient Nations of which we have any knowledge is its Humanity . The cardinal virtues of the Heathens were Temperance Prudence Justice and fortitude Three of which however...
17From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 10 May 1811 (Adams Papers)
I received only two or three days ago your letter dated the 24th: of September of the last year; and although it had been written so many months before it came to me, it gave me and your Mama very great pleasure, and I take the first opportunity to write you this in reply to it. I was glad to see that the greatest part of your letter was written with your own hand; and I hope very soon to...
18From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 21 March 1813 (Adams Papers)
I have promised you in my former letters to state the particulars in which I deemed the Christian dispensation to be an improvement or perfection of the Law delivered from Sinai considered as including a system of morality—But before I come to this point, it is proper to remark upon the moral character of the Books of the Old Testament, subsequent to those of Moses. Some of these are...
19From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 14 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
The fourth and last point of view, in which I proposed to offer you some general observations upon the sacred Scriptures, was with reference to Literature . And the first remark which presents itself here is that the five Books of Moses, are the most antient monument of written language, now extant in the World—The Book of Job is nearly of the same date, and by many of the Christian and Jewish...
20From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 4 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
The imperfections of the Mosaic Institutions which it was the object of Christ’s Mission upon Earth to remove appear to me to have been these. 1. The Want of a sufficient sanction. The Rewards and the Penalties of the Levitical Law had all reference to the present life—There are many passages in the Old Testament which imply a state of existence after death, and some which directly assert a...
21From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 10 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
In the promise with which my last Letter to you, upon the Bible, was concluded, that I would next consider the Scriptures in their ethical character, as containing a system of morals, I undertook a task from the performance of which I have been hitherto deterred, by its very magnitude and importance. The more I reflected upon the subject, the more sensibly did I feel my own incompetency to do...
22From John Quincy Adams to Charles Francis Adams, 21 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
It is related of Augustus Caesar, that being upon his death-bed, he turned just before he expired to the friends who were standing around, and asked them what they thought of the part which he had acted on the scene of human life—They express’d their admiration as their feelings or their prudence inspired—Then said he “Plaudite”. In the article of Death, Augustus was what he had been...