第109章

Ithinktheinvitationwillbeaccepted，bysomesectsfromcandidintentions，andbyothersfromjealousyandrivalship。Andbybringingthesectstogether，andmixingthemwiththemassofotherstudents，weshallsoftentheirasperities，liberalizeandneutralizetheirprejudices，andmakethegeneralreligionareligionofpeace，reason，andmorality。

Thetimeofopeningouruniversityisstillasuncertainasever。Allthepavilions，boardinghouses，anddormitoriesaredone。

Nothingisnowwantingbutthecentralbuildingforalibraryandothergeneralpurposes。Forthiswehavenofunds，andthelastlegislaturerefusedallaid。Wehavebetterhopesofthenext。Butallisuncertain。Ihaveheardwithregretofdisturbancesonthepartofthestudentsinyourseminary。ThearticleofdisciplineisthemostdifficultinAmericaneducation。Prematureideasofindependence，toolittlerepressedbyparents，begetaspiritofinsubordination，whichisthegreatobstacletosciencewithus，andaprincipalcauseofitsdecaysincetherevolution。Ilooktoitwithdismayinourinstitution，asabreakerahead，whichIamfarfrombeingconfidentweshallbeabletoweather。Theadvanceofage，andtardypaceofthepublicpatronage，mayprobablysparemethepainofwitnessingconsequences。

Isaluteyouwithconstantfriendshipandrespect。

CALVINANDCOSMOLOGY

_ToJohnAdams_

_Monticello，April11，1823_

DEARSIR，——Thewishesexpressed，inyourlastfavor，thatI

maycontinueinlifeandhealthuntilIbecomeaCalvinist，atleastinhisexclamationof`_monDieu！_jusqueaquand’！wouldmakemeimmortal。IcanneverjoinCalvininaddressing_hisgod。_HewasindeedanAtheist，whichIcanneverbe；orratherhisreligionwasDaemonism。Ifevermanworshippedafalsegod，hedid。Thebeingdescribedinhis5。pointsisnottheGodwhomyouandIacknolegeandadore，theCreatorandbenevolentgovernoroftheworld；butadaemonofmalignantspirit。Itwouldbemorepardonabletobelieveinnogodatall，thantoblasphemehimbytheatrociousattributesofCalvin。IndeedIthinkthateveryChristiansectgivesagreathandletoAtheismbytheirgeneraldogmathat，withoutarevelation，therewouldnotbesufficientproofofthebeingofagod。NowonesixthofmankindonlyaresupposedtobeChristians：theotherfivesixthsthen，whodonotbelieveintheJewishandChristianrevelation，arewithoutaknolegeoftheexistenceofagod！ThisgivescompleatlyagaindecausetothedisciplesofOcellus，Timaeus，Spinosa，DiderotandD’Holbach。Theargumentwhichtheyrestonastriumphantandunanswerableisthat，ineveryhypothesisofCosmogonyyoumustadmitaneternalpre-existenceofsomething；

andaccordingtotheruleofsoundphilosophy，youarenevertoemploytwoprinciplestosolveadifficultywhenonewillsuffice。

Theysaythenthatitismoresimpletobelieveatonceintheeternalpre-existenceoftheworld，asitisnowgoingon，andmayforevergoonbytheprincipleofreproductionwhichweseeandwitness，thantobelieveintheeternalpre-existenceofanulteriorcause，orCreatoroftheworld，abeingwhomweseenot，andknownot，ofwhoseformsubstanceandmodeorplaceofexistence，orofactionnosenseinformsus，nopowerofthemindenablesustodelineateorcomprehend。OnthecontraryIhold(withoutappealtorevelation)thatwhenwetakeaviewoftheUniverse，init’spartsgeneralorparticular，itisimpossibleforthehumanmindnottopercieveandfeelaconvictionofdesign，consummateskill，andindefinitepowerineveryatomofit’scomposition。Themovementsoftheheavenlybodies，soexactlyheldintheircoursebythebalanceofcentrifugalandcentripetalforces，thestructureofourearthitself，withit’sdistributionoflands，watersandatmosphere，animalandvegetablebodies，examinedinalltheirminutestparticles，insectsmereatomsoflife，yetasperfectlyorganisedasmanormammoth，themineralsubstances，theirgenerationanduses，itisimpossible，Isay，forthehumanmindnottobelievethatthereis，inallthis，design，causeandeffect，uptoanultimatecause，afabricatorofallthingsfrommatterandmotion，theirpreserverandregulatorwhilepermittedtoexistintheirpresentforms，andtheirregeneratorintonewandotherforms。Wesee，too，evidentproofsofthenecessityofasuperintendingpowertomaintaintheUniverseinit’scourseandorder。Stars，wellknown，havedisappeared，newoneshavecomeintoview，comets，intheirincalculablecourses，mayrunfoulofsunsandplanetsandrequirerenovationunderotherlaws；

certainracesofanimalsarebeco