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In 1806, Noah began his work and studied about twenty different languagesto
translate and define words from their original languages into English. As a result of
his efforts, Noah Websters Dictionary was published in 1828. The dictionary
contained 70,000 words, with their spellings and definitions. Noahs strong faith
and belief in God is evident not only in this original dictionary, but also in his
1833 The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments, in the Common
Version, in which he updates outdated and unused words.
(Notice in the pictures below his use of Scripture to define words "Light" and
"Help" and explain their meanings.)
A testimony of his faith is also recorded in the 1849 edition of his Dictionary,
which was printed only six years after his death in 1843. The introduction contains
a biography of Noah Websters life, including his views on religion. This
introduction was written by the editor, Chauncey A. Goodrich, Noah Websters
son-in-law, who was a Professor at Yale. In the transcript below, Professor
Goodrich details Noah Websters conversion experience and his faith in God.
In respect to religion, Dr. Webster was a firm believer, during a large part of his
life, in the great distinctive doctrines of our Puritan ancestors, whose character he
always regarded with the highest veneration. There was a period, however, from
the time of his leaving college to the age of forty, when he had doubts as to some
of those doctrines, and rested in a different system. Soon after he graduated, being
uncertain what business to attempt or by what means he could obtain subsistence,
he felt his mind greatly perplexed, and almost overwhelmed with gloomy
apprehensions. In this state, as he afterward informed a friend, he read Johnsons
Rambler with unusual interest; and, in closing the last volume, he made a firm
resolution to pursue a course of virtue though life, and to perform every moral and
social duty with scrupulous exactness. To this he added a settled belief in the
inspiration of the Scriptures and the governing providence of God, connected with
highly reverential views of the divine character and perfections. Here he rested,
placing his chief reliance for salvation on a faithful discharge of all the relative
duties of life, though not to the entire exclusion of dependence on the merits of the
Redeemer. In this state of mind he remained, though with some misgiving and
frequent fluctuations of feeling, to the winter of 1807-8. At that time, there was a
season of general religious interest at New Haven, under the ministry of the Rev.
Moses Stuart, now a professor in the Andover Theological Seminary. To this Dr.
Websters attention was first directed, but observing an unusual degree of
tenderness and solemnity of feeling in all the adult members of his family. He was
thus led to reconsider his former views, and inspire, with an earnestness which he
had never felt before, into the nature of personal religion, and the true ground of
mans acceptance with God. He had now to decide not for himself only, but, to a
certain extent, for others, whose spiritual interests were committed to his charge.
Under a sense of this responsibility, he took up the study of the Bible with painful
death. He spoke of his long life as one of uniform enjoyment, because filled up at
every stage with active labors for some valuable end. He expressed his entire
resignation to the will of God, and his unshaken trust in the atoning blood of the
Redeemer. It was an interesting coincidence, that his former pastor, the Rev. Mr.
Stuart, who received him to the church thirty-five years before, had just arrived at
New Haven on a visit to his friends. He called immediately, and the interview
brought into affecting comparison the beginning and the end of that long period of
consecration to the service of Christ. The same hopes which had cheered the vigor
of manhood, were now shedding a softened light over decay and sufferings of age.
I know in whom I have believed, such was the solemn and affecting testimony
which he gave to his friend, while the hand of death was upon him, - I know in
whom I have believed, and that He is able to keep that which I have committed to
him against that day. Thus, without one down, one fear, he resigned his soul into
the hands of his Maker, and died on the 28th day of May, 1843, in the eighty-fifth
year of his age....