Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-05-03
DIS C O U R s E
On the Transient and Permanent IN
Christianity By THEODORE PARKER,
Minister of The Second Church in Roc
burg.
LUKE XXI: SO.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my word
shall not pass away.

| LUKE XXI: 30.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my word
shall not pass away.
Any one, who traces The history Of
what is called Christianity, will see that
nothing changes more from age to age
\ than the doctrines taught as Christian, and
insisted on as essential to Christianity aud
personal salvation. What is falsehood in
one province passes for truth in another
The he.esy OF one age is the orthodox
belief and only infailible rule" of the
next. Now Arius, and now Athanasius
is Lord Of The ascendant. Both were
accommodated in their turn each for
affirming what the other denied. Men
are burned for protesting what men are
burned for denying. For centuries the
doctrines of the Christians were no better,
TO say tie least, than those OF their con-
temporary pagans. The theological doc
trines derived from our fathers seem To-
have CONS from Judaism, Heathenism,
and the caprice Of philosophers, far more
than they have come from the principle
and sentiment Of Christianity. The doc
trine Of the Trinity, the very Achilles Of
theological dogmas, belongs 10 philosophy
and not religion; It's subteties cannot
even be expressed in our tongue. As old
religions became superannualed aud died
out, they left to the rising filth, as rtsI-
duary lcgatee, their forms and their doc
trines; or rather, as the giant in the fable
ltfl his poisoned garment to work the
overthrow of his couqueror. Many tenets
that pass current in our theology, seem to
be the refuse of idol temples; the offscour-
ings Of Jewish and Heather cities, rather
than the sands of virgin gold, which the
stream of Christianity has worn of from
J the rock Of ages, and broug ut in its bosom
for US. |: is wood, hay, and slubbIe,
wherewih men Lave built on the corner
stone Christ laid. What wonder the
fabric is in peril when tried by fire
The stream Ct Christianity, as men re-
ceive H. has caught stain from every
soil it has filtered through, so that now II
is not the pure water from the well of
Life, which is offered to our lips. hui
streams troubled and polluted by man
with mire aud dirt. Ii Paul and Jesus
could read our books of theological doc
lrines, would they accept as their teach
| ing, what men have vented IN their name
Never ill the letters of Paul had faded
ont OF his memory; never TIL The words
Of Jesus had been torn out from the Book
Of Life. Ii is their notions about Christ
ianity, men have taught as the only liv-
ing word Of God. They have piled their
own rubbish against the temple OF Truth
where Piety comes up TO worship; what
worder the pile seems unshapeIy and like
to fall! But these theological doctrines
are fleeing as the leaves on the trees.
They
Are found
Nov green in youth, now wilher'd on the ground !;
Another race the following spring supplies;
They fall successive aud successive rise"
I Like the clouds OF the sky, they are
here to-day; tomorrow, all swept off and
vanished, while Christianity Itself like
, the heaven above, with its sun, and moon
and uncounted stars, is always over ouI
head, though the cloud sometimes deb"rS
us OF the needed light. Ii must OF neces
S sily be the else that our reasonings, and
| therefore our theological doctrines, are
imperfect, and so perishing. Ii is onry
gradually that we approach to the true
: system of Nature BY observation ane
' reasoning, and work out our philosophy
) and theology by the toll Of the BRAIN
But meantime, if we are toi,hiul, tn,
: great truths Of morality and religion, th'
S deep sentiment of love 10 man ard love t
r God, are perceived intuitively, and D,
instinct, as il were, though our theolog.
be imperfect aud miserable. The lheolo
e cical nolions Of Abraham. 10 take the stor
: as il stands, were exceedingly gross. "
s a greater than Abraham has told US Aura
: ham desired 10 see my day, saw It an
was glad. Since these notions are
J fleeing, WHY need we accept the com
81 mandment Of men, as the doctrine
j, God ,
le This transitoriness OF doctrines appear
of in macy instances, OF which too may b
selected Tor a more attentive consideration
First, the doctrine respecting the ongl
OF and authority Of The Cd and New Test;
ID ment There has been time when me
N were burned for asserting doctrines I
natural philosophy, which rested OIL ev
dence The mos; incontestible, becauS
re those doctrines conhicted with sentence
- in the Old Testament. Every word
that Jewish record was regarded as nl
u racuousIy Inspired and therefore as il
re fallibly true. IL was believed that Il
ey Christian religion itself rested thereo
ne and must stand or fall with the immac
:, late Hebrew text He was deemed |
O small sinner who found mistakes IN q
ey manuscript. On the authority OF Il
ig- written Word. man was taught to belle
i, q. impossible legends. conflicting assertion
r 10 take fiction for fact: dream fer
20 miraculous revelation Of God an ofleI
but al poem for grave history Of miraculo
Il. ..o..,. = nllnciinn of anainru duls