Noah Webster, author of the Blue-Backed Speller and the American Dictionary of the English Language, was one of the most important and influential figures in early American history. His spiritual conversion in 1808 at age 49 had a dramatic impact on his thinking, and his passion from then to the end of his long life was to encourage Bible education in America. He was convinced that a free republic could only exist if the citizens were righteous and wise, and he believed that only the Bible has the power to produce such citizens. In 1835, he issued the following warning: “God has provided but one way, by which nations can secure their rights and privileges: by obedience to his laws. Without this, a nation may be great in population, great in wealth, and great in military strength; but it must be corrupt in morals, degraded in character, and distracted with factions. This is the order of God’s moral government, as firm as his throne, and unchangeable as his purpose; and nations, disregarding this order, are doomed to incessant internal evils, and ultimately to ruin” (Noah Webster, Instructive and Entertaining Lessons for Youth, 1835). (Friday Church News Notes, February 5, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) Comments are closed.
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