New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-01


TIMES.
l. THE LAW OF GOD AND THE STATUTES OF MEN A
sermon June ls 1854 by THEODORE PARKER Boston:
IL. A SERMON ON THE DANGERS WHICH THREATEN ATE,
TIE RIGHTS OF MAN IN B aMEhS s::e coy
Equally brave and yieiant Theodore Parker suffers
no speck Of danger in the moral horizon to escape
timely observation. Nor does he leave the public
destitute Of faithful warning. With less energy
than the old Purtanic preachers of New-England,
and far more breadth of vision, he never fails to
bring the passing events of the day to the touch
stone of divine and everlasting law. Not claim
ing to pry into the secrets of futurity his fine moral
sense arms him with certain prophetic insight and
inspires his words with electric eloquence re-
Winding one of the stern fiery enthusiasm of ancient
religious bards. Hence his comments on current
political topics are matters of wide public interest
and awaken curiosity such as is rarely called iorth
nv the dscourses of even our most celebrated pulpit
orators. As chronicers Of the times, our readers
will look to us for report of the recent productions
of Mr. Parker, which have been suggested by the
present aspect of public affairs. Our extracts will be
confined to a few prominent passages taken from ooth
the dscourses named above
INFLUENCE OF THE PUBLIC CREED.
Haman does this, the public creed OF the people or
church may be help TO him, because while 1t em6odes
both the truths that men know ANA the errors "ch lhey
likewise suppose be true, he accepts from the creed
what he deems true and rejects what he deems false The
false that he rejects harms him not the true which ne ac-
cepts is blessing But there is this roube-the priest
who bas made invented or imported the creed, claims
jurisdiction over the minds OF and bids the phioso-
pber accept creed NO answers the phlos0-
pher 81 cannot; my reason forbids lhon down wth
Your creed" thunders the priest there Is no run
above our creed The priest and creed are nor
TO reason: reason is amenabe to them what shau DC
done Shall the philosopher submit and seem 10 oeie'e'
oil be he
and lie or shall he openly and unhestatlngy REJECT what
seems false Ask these prophets OF the oId testament
what we shall do ask Socrates AnaXagoras Paul Luther
esus ask the Puritans of England, the Huguenos OF
France the Covenanters of Scotland which we shall do
whether shall count human reason amenable TO the
priest or the priest amenabe to human reason some
Times whole nation violates its mind and submits TO the
priests creed. The many mainly give up thinking alto
gether-they do it and have done n the few thinK
INT lie outwardly pretending belief Then there comes
the intellectual death OF the nation the people are cut OIL
from new accessons of TRUTH and intellectually they die
ont Nhere there is vision the people PERISH says
the Old Testament and there Is not aword IN the bOle
that is more Tear rosebush from the ground ana
suspepd il in the air will il live! just as much will man
mind live when plucked away from contact with truth
Do YOU want historic examples Look at Mahometan
countries compared with Christian; Wine the Moran "as
in advance of the Mahometans there was progress III
the nations which accepted it. There arose great men,
Bnt now when men have lived up to the Koran, ana are
forbdden TO think further science dies out all orsnai
literature disappears there is no great spua sro".n
In the whole Mahometan world this day there Is moi
single man eminent for science or literature; nor Ses
millions of Mahometans on the round world. Look at Il
Catholic in comparison with Protestant country Com
pare Catholic Spain, Portugal Italy, win hhgahu' SOU
land Germany noble Protestant countries ana see tue
odds. In the Cahoc countries the priest has LAID himself
down at tie foot of the tree, and says, hoo mo me
and you shall have life" Compare Catholic bra%u win
Protestant New England. Nay, in NewEngland, 60 INTO
the families OF private men, families where 0gotry oi inc
various DENOMINATIONS, Unitarian well as lrinltarlah
for there Is Unitarian bigotryhas put it, cold, hard
hand, anu forbidden freedom OF thought compare the
children born and bred there with such born ana
AraA in -. only
tolerated but encouraged and see the difference. The
of this country science literature states
manship, are who have spurned that Pharisac
meanness which chains mans mind and letters his
conscience.
DANGERS WHICH THREATEN AMERICA
But the question comes up, Is America TO live or
to die Ii we i've what life shall it be Shall we fall
into the sepuchre Of departed Saiesa debauchee
of the nations Shall live petrined TO stone despot-
irm many hesded, sIttinganoher sphinx-by the way
side Of history. TO young nations IN their march and
impede their progress Or shall pursue the Journey
a great Ioblehearted Commonwealth, nation possess
ing the continent full OF riches full OF justice full OF Wis
dom, full of pety and full of peace 1t depends on our
selves. Is for America for this generation OF Ame
cans TO say which of the three shall happen No tate
holds us up. Our character is destiny.
am not a tmid man; l am excessive praiser OF
times passed by seldom take counsel OF fears often
Of my hopes but must say that since 70 our sue
cess was doubtful this time England is in
peril the despots the continent hate her free Parla
ment which makes laws for the people-just laws; they
hate her free speech which tells every grievance home
or abroad they hate her free soil which offers home to
every exile republican despotc England is in peril,
for every yrant hates her, Russia in danger for the
hssd. sad oath TO fight against that great ma