--- title: "2 Divine Authority Quotes By John Adams" description: "2 Divine Authority quotes by John Adams. Plus more from John Adams and more Divine Authority sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/john-adams-529_america_we-think-ourselves-possessed-or-at-least_1704978.jpg" --- > [“We think ourselves possessed, or at least we boast that we are so, of liberty of conscience on all subjects and of the right of free inquiry and private judgment in all cases, and yet how far are we from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/we-think-ourselves-possessed-or-at-least-we-boast-that-we-are-so-of-2/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/john-adams-529_america_we-think-ourselves-possessed-or-at-least_1704978.jpg) > [There exists, I believe, throughout the whole Christian world, a law which makes it blasphemy to deny or doubt the divine inspiration of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelations. In most countries of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/there-exists-i-believe-throughout-the-whole-christian-world-a-law/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/john-adams-529_argument_there-exists-i-believe-throughout-the-wh_2072658.jpg) ## More by John Adams > [Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/historically-usury-was-defined-as-any-interest-whatever-on-an/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“Daughter! Get you an honest Man for a Husband, and keep him honest. No matter whether he is rich, provided he be independent. Regard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/daughter-get-you-an-honest-man-for-a-husband-and-keep-him-honest-no/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-general-principles-on-which-the-fathers-achieved-independence/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [We may... affirm that the balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. The only possible way, then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/we-may-affirm-that-the-balance-of-power-in-a-society-accompanies-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“The longer I live, the more I read, the more patiently I think, and the more anxiously I inquire, the less I seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-longer-i-live-the-more-i-read-the-more-patiently-i-think-and-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/but-what-do-we-mean-by-the-american-revolution-do-we-mean-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“Upon common theaters, indeed, the applause of the audience is of more importance to the actors than their own aprobation. But upon the stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/upon-common-theaters-indeed-the-applause-of-the-audience-is-of-more/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [There are only two creatures of value on the face of the earth: those with the commitment, and those who require the commitment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/there-are-only-two-creatures-of-value-on-the-face-of-the-earth-those/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [ I will insist the Hebrews have \[contributed\] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/i-will-insist-the-hebrews-have-contributed-more-to-civilize-men-than/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/government-is-instituted-for-the-common-good-for-the-protection/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Make Things rather than Persons the subjects of conversations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/make-things-rather-than-persons-the-subjects-of-conversations/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [During the whole time I sat with him in Congress, I never heard him utter three sentences together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/during-the-whole-time-i-sat-with-him-in-congress-i-never-heard-him/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all government and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/religion-and-virtue-are-the-only-foundations-not-of-republicanism-and/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The universal object and idol of men of letters is reputation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-universal-object-and-idol-of-men-of-letters-is-reputation/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I consider a decent respect for Christianity among the best recommendations for public service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/i-consider-a-decent-respect-for-christianity-among-the-best/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-authority/john-adams/#itemlist", "name": "2 Divine Authority Quotes By John Adams", "numberOfItems": 2, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We think ourselves possessed, or at least we boast that we are so, of liberty of conscience on all subjects and of the right of free inquiry and private judgment in all cases, and yet how far are we from these exalted privileges in fact. There exists, I believe, throughout the whole Christian world, a law which makes it blasphemy to deny, or to doubt the divine inspiration of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelations. In most countries of Europe it is punished by fire at the stake, or the rack, or the wheel. In England itself, it is punished by boring through the tongue with a red-hot poker. In America it is not much better; even in our Massachusetts, which, I believe, upon the whole, is as temperate and moderate in religious zeal as most of the States, a law was made in the latter end of the last century, repealing the cruel punishments of the former laws, but substituting fine and imprisonment upon all those blasphemies upon any book of the Old Testament or New. Now, what free inquiry, when a writer must surely encounter the risk of fine or imprisonment for adducing any arguments for investigation into the divine authority of those books? Who would run the risk of translating Volney 's Recherches Nouvelles ? Who would run the risk of translating Dupuis ? But I cannot enlarge upon this subject, though I have it much at heart. I think such laws a great embarrassment, great obstructions to the improvement of the human mind. Books that cannot bear examination, certainly ought not to be established as divine inspiration by penal laws... but as long as they continue in force as laws, the human mind must make an awkward and clumsy progress in its investigations. 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