An Appeal to the People in Behalf of Their Rights as Authorized Interpreters of the Bible

by Catharine Esther Beecher

At the same time, the Conflict of Ages, in removing the chief passage in the Bible relied on for proving that in consequence of Adam's sin the nature of all men has become depraved, has equally removed the evidence [pg 307] most relied on to prove that there is any such depravity of nature taught in the Bible at all.

This universal, tacit concession of theologians of all schools, in reference to this famous passage of Scripture, had no little influence in bringing before the public the volume entitled Common Sense Applied to Religion, or the Bible and the People before referred to.

In this work, the principles of common sense and the nature or construction of mind are by the author exhibited more at large than in this volume. And the common-sense system of religion as thus educed is also set forth, though less completely and extensively than in this work.

The laws of language and interpretation also are introduced into that work for the purpose of showing (in the second volume not yet published) that the common-sense system is also taught in the Bible.

But preliminary to this, it was seen to be important to apply the principles of common sense to prove that the Bible is a collection of reliable records, of reliable revelations from the Creator to mankind.

It was seen also, that if the Augustinian system is really taught in these writings, it is impossible to prove them to be reliable revelations from God, as is set forth at large in chapter 34 of this present volume.

For this reason, in the Addenda to the first volume the Augustinian theory is introduced, and very briefly shown to be, not only contrary to the common sense and moral sense of mankind, but also without support from the Bible.

Before publication, this work was sent to a large number of those regarded as among the most acute and profound theologians of the several classes described [pg 308] herein, with the request that if they detected inaccuracies as to facts, or fallacious reasonings, they would point them out for revision. In making this appeal it was stated that the writer had little taste for metaphysics or theology, and had been driven to them in the stress of great sorrow and under a tremendous pressure of motive as narrated in the Introduction.

Several of those thus addressed, returned criticisms and remarks in reply. The book was then issued, in which the author appeared not in the attitude of a teacher, but as an inquirer. And the closing inquiries were:

Are these principles of common sense accepted?