New-York daily tribune., 1851-08-26

eyorable pen Of the stern iconoclas. Of Boston
I, is supe-fuous TO characterize any OF the pro-
dnc,iops Of Theodore Parker They all bear
the impress OF bold, clear, Incorporating
intellect. a defiance always conspicuous AMI
often rude, OF fashionable opinions, grlln inde-
pendence of great names and imposing authori-
ties. and spin, too "teuioly IN earnest" to
dea, N any soft or qualifying phrases We viii
give a few specimens Of his Puri,anc pulpit
eioooence. which has all the yehenencc, with
none Of the orthodoxy, Of John Knox.
THE FOUNDATION OF THE HIGHER LAW
The frs, safeguard Of society il RlGHrsoosSEss
~ ruE PgoPLE a religious determination 10 keep
tbe la " OF God al al hazards sacred and lnhexi
bic reverence for right aoit o hdehsy
each 70 his own conscience. ms " course impdes
a hatred OF wrong. religious and determines ndci
OF dlsoteyIng ana resisting everything which contra
diets The law of God. of clsOoeyng what IS false TO
tins and our conscience. mere Is no safeguard Tor
society without this. II Is to man what mpenetra-
blty with the other primary Qualities. Is TO matter
All must begin with the integral atoms, with the IN
diyidual mind and conscience all De tired oy tlat
test, personal integrity, n last. Whdt IS la!se 10
nyse1 must never dO,-dt no time. Tor no consl1e-
ration IN nowise. This Is the doctrine D: the higher
law the doctrine of allegiance 10 God doctrine
which appears IN every form OF religion ever taught
m the world a doctrine admitted by me greatest
writers on the foundation Of human Law, rom CICERO
70 LORD BrOugham. Even Benthtm comes Ddfk 70
this / know Il Is nowadays taught IN the United
States that If any staue IS made alter the clstona-
~ lera, form II is morally binding on all men, no
matter what the statute may be that a command TO
kidnap black man. and sell him INTO slavery Is rs
much morally binding as a command Tor man 10
urotect his own wife and child. A people that VIII
practically submit 20 such doctrine IS not worthy
Of liberty and deserves nothing but law, oppressive
law tyraNnlcdl law and VIII soon get Nhdt u ue-
serves II people has tins notion that they are
morally bound 10 obey any statute legally made,
though IL conflict with public morals with privaie
conscience, and with the law of God, then there Is
no hope OF such people and the sooner tyrdnt
whips them INTO Their shameful grave, the better IOI
the world. Trust me TO such people the tyranl
will soon come. where the carcass IS thther WIZ
the vulIures be gathered together. let no man put
asunder the carron and the crow. SO much !or the
first and indispensable safeguard.
ATTACKS ON THE HIGHER LAW.
We have been told that there Is no law higher
than human statute, no law OF God above an act oi
tbe American Congress. You know how tins doc
time Of the supremacy OF the lower law has been
taught IN the nigh places OF the state, IN the hgh
places OF the Church, and IN the low places OF the
public press You know with what snecIs men have
been assailed who Appealed to conscience to re-
hgion, and sald " The la" Of God L supreme .,
avOve all the enaci ciments OF mortal men," You have
been witness 70 attempts To howl down the justice
OF the Almighty. We have had defamation and
preaching against the law OF God II is sald the
French Assembly, some fifty OF sixty years ago,
voted that there should be public worship of God
that there was no God to worship but II was LETT
for politicians and preachers OF America, IN our time,
TO declare that there is no law above the caprice oi
mortal men. Did the French " philosophers decree
speculative atheism the American "wlse men put
II IN practice They deny the function OF God. " lie
has nothing 10 do with mankind" This doctrine Is
OF the iOuleSt taught. akJ tends directly 10
Gebauch the conscience of the people What II there
were no law higher than al act OF Parliament
what would become of the Parliament itself
There IS such thing cOncc vabc as personal spec
ulatlve atheism. think II is very rare thing. ]
have never known atheist; for with all about us
speaking OF God all within US speaking OF hum
every telescope revealing the Infinite Mind IN beDllr
resolved to groups of systems OF suns every micro
scope revealing the Infinite Father, yea, Mother Of
the world, IN drop of water, grain o! periShlng
wood, atom OF stone every little pendulum
revealing ms unchangDg law on a small scale and
this whole group of solar systems, III ITS slow ana
solemn swing through heavenly space, disclosing
the same law on scale which only genius al first
can comprehensive is not easy to arrive al PERSONAL
speculative atheism. IL would he dreadful thing,
the stark denial Of God. Te say there Is no inf
nite Mind in hnte matter, no order IN the universe
IN providence only fate, no God for all no Father
for any, only an nextnguiShabe nothing that fills
the desert and illmitabe ether OF space and time.
the whence and whittier of all that arc-Such "A be-
hef Is conceivable but do not believe that there
is a single atheist living on the whole round world.
There ~ no general danger Of personal, speculative
atheism. When VI. Lalande declared thai he
no God through his telescope, though meant not To
deny the real God OF nature the world rang with IN
dgnatiCn at an astronomer unGcVOut and mad But
practical, political atheism has become common
ihIng IN America, IN New England. TINS Is not a
denial of the essence of God aud his being, but OF
his function as Supreme Ruler OF the church, OF the
State, Of the people, of the universe. oi that there
Is danger The evil OF ambition tempts the great
man 10 II the devil OF coyc,oUsnesS the little man
Both strike hands, and say. There Is no higher
law - and low men htt up their mean iorehCadsi IN
the puplts of America, ANA say, II Is the voice Of
god and not OF man There Is no higher law"
The creates, understanding ofthS land, with naughty
scoin has lately said, "The North Mountain Is very
high the Blue Ridge, higher still the Alleghanles.
higher than either and vet tins higher law ranges
farther than eagles fight above the highest peaks of
the AileghanieS.' The lmpous taunt A. received
with daughter" by men who have long acted
the maxim that there IS no Law OF God and whose
State is Impoverished by the attempt 10 tread His taw
under foot. ] know men IN America have looked
80 long at political economy that they have forgotten
political morality, and seem 10 think politics only
national housekecpng and he the best rulcs who
buys cheapest and sells scareSt. Bur coaieSS aln
amazed when statesmen oigci The lessons OF those
great men that have gone before us and built up the
social state, whose deep foundations have been
land with prayer r" What H. there no law above
the North Mountain above the Blue Ridge higher
than thc Aleghanles Why, the old Hebrew poet
told us OF One which rcmOytth the mountains, and
they know not which oVeTturneGh them IN his
anger which alone spreadeth GU, the heavens. and
ueadeth upon the waves of the Lo he goeth
by me and see HIM not he pdSSeth ON also but
perceive hun not" Yes, there l. ono-hIs law :" an
eagles flight above The Aleghanle> who hum
bleth himself to behold the things thai IN heaven.
whose strong hand sci,eth iaS, the mountains yea
One who hath weighed The mountains IN scales
before whom all nations are as very little thing
Yes, Father IN heaven before the mountains were
brought forth, ever thou hadSt formed the earth
and the World, even nom everlasting u everaStlnS
thou AIT God Yea, thou mast been our dwelling
place IN all generations Thy name alone Is excel
lent thy glory above the earth and heaven
IMPORTANCE OF THIS LAW TO NATIONS.
II would be great calamity lor this nation 10 lose
all OF ,S mighty riches and have nothing en hut The
sol We stand on. But. IN seven eight generations
II would all oe restored AGAIN 10Y al The wealth OF
America has been Won III less time. We not
two hundred and nifty years from jamestown and
Plymouth. 10 would Dc great misfortune u losc
all the foremost families of the nation hut Eng
land lost hers m the War of the Roses France. IA
her Revolution. Nature bore great men anew, and
fresh families sprung up rs noble rs the Old. But #
tins generation IN Amcrlca could believe that there
wasno law OF God for YOU and me 70 Aeep.-Say the
u--A. - -. -. Il -.