New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-09-27


son wide reputation among the cultvators OF sacred
song will doubtless insure attention to its claims.
We have before us three handsome volumes,
containing translation of THEODORE PARKER's
theological works into German. with Introductory
and critical notices. The first volume is the
discourse on Religion" translated by Arch
deacon Wolf OF keil, and bearing the imprint OF
Kel, le4S. The second volume is entitled Ten
Meditations on Religion and Life, translated by
Dr. johannes Zeither Leipzig, 1883, while the
third embraces a collection Of Critical aud
Miscellaneous Essays" by the same translator
and intended as the commencement of an edition
of Parkers Complete Works, ;" Leipzig, 1854.
In the preface to his translation Archdeacon
Wolf remarks
Since the days of the Reformation there was never
go much activity in the domain of ecclesiastical and
religious life now, moment so far reaching as
that by which the present age is agated not to say
shattered TO pieces. Indeed, it may be questioned
whether the age of the Reformation itself was witness
of ecelesastcal events so important and which pene
trate into life so deeply that which we have seem
or on whose vigil We now stand. Not if the ques-
ton related TO what il entirely new there is nothing
new under the SUM- it is the old battle which the
One Religion has to wage with the various theolo-
gies and which at various times, with various weap
OILS with various zeal and ability, and accordingly with
various results Will continue to be carried Ii the
contest between al Eternal Truth and the ,ransentfom
that will not vanish when its work is done, die
when its time is come but when the chance is des-
pers,e fights with the courage of despair aud is worn
out in vain contention. 1t is the battle for life
death which feeting tendency of the times wages
against the Eternal Law. Wherever in the field of
the world TIE seed has been scattered with generous
hand there the blade comes vigorously up; what is
conceived will be born when the hour comes the seed
corn sown by Gutenberg, Luther and Kant, by Watt
and Fulton and the thousands, before and since, who
toed with them that mankind might be free and every
shameful bond of medieval thraldom be broken of,
comes up continually in wider and wider fields. But
until the present the fear is greater that the
young blade will be pucked up by the roots. But
who can doubt that truth will conquer that the pro-
gress Of mankind on the whole can not be prevented
or hindered neither by such love darkness yet
by those who, in their littleness of faith, think
the full daylight blind the eyes Of the children Of
light.
This is the question: What must be done by men
who live in an age thus ag,aed in order that the tr-
umph may not cost too great sacrifice The old forms
and belief under which the Reformers wrought such
deeds can never be restored but that the true religion
which gave life and power to that time, which
never grows old may not be lost to this generation
in the contest against decsyng forms-that is seri
Gus and sacred problem for AL who by word deed,
in wide or narrow circles, have an influence on the
IL. 70, thate 81.
generation has tasted of the tree of knowledge it is
no fault at a-t is after the Of things which
the Heavenly Father in his WISDOM allows the devel-
opment Of his children on earth to TASTE But it is
fault for a man mpiousy to seek to trample on the
Eternal Law delay to teath his feeble brothers to
separate the form from the substance, so that when
the transient passes away they may not feel them
selves deprived OF the permanent good"
Archdescon Wolf gives an account Of the origin of
the Socinan, Unitarian sect, and gratefully &C.
knowledges its large services to the cause Of religion
and humanity in the old world and the new He
calls attention the fact that in America many emf.
nent men have left the ranks of the Unitarian clergy
ane enumerates among them Mr.. Norton, whom be
calls perhaps the most learned among them" Mr.
Sparks, Mr.. Everett, Mr.. Bancroft, Mr.. Emerson,
Mr.. Pslfrey, and 0ther. Their silence proclaims
their dissatisfaction with the ecclesiastical condition
Of the denomination"
He regards Mr.. Parker as true representative of
the Protestant Reforlners of the Sixteenth century
"A short extract" he says, "by Ebroty, in The
KpeiAeies Reform, November, 1876, first drew
my attention. Several months passed away before
received the book itself from London but then the
resolution was soon found to make il accessible to
all the educated persons IN the community. Is il
Parkers high inspiration for the true and holy; Is
If the ehildhke love With which he bows before the
works Of God and lies low in the bosom Of nature;
is it the genuine humane mildness with which hs |
judges the faults and weaknesses Of men; is il the
noble justice which willingly acknowledges and