Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-04-17
Acligijous.
From the Boston Courier April S.
THEODORE PARKER ON THE REVI.
VAL,

The Music Hall was greatly crowded yes
terday morning, in consequence Of the an
nouncement that the Rev. Theodore Parker
would preach upon the Revival After the
usual exercises OF singing and prayer, the
text was read as follows:
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with
compassion ON them because they tainted and were scat
tered abroad as sheep having no shepherd Matthew,
chapter 9, verse 80.
Mr.. Parker said ne should endeavor to
give some thoughts on a false and true
revival Of religion but the subject was
great one, and as he could not dispose of it
in single sermon, he should preach on this
occasion mainly of the false, reserving the
discussion OF the true for next Sunday. If a
person should 60 into an apothecary's shop
he would find an endless number of vas and
jars and boxes, labeled with strange names,
but all containing medicine, for making sick
men sound, and keeping well men sound.
lie would also find many kinds of surgical
instruments, for the healing Of wounds, and
Kidding men Of the ills to which their flesh is
heir. But if he should say to the unwhole.
some looking young man, prematurely bald
and spectacled, but still wearing benevolent
face, who is in attendance, Il will have some
"of the best of your medicine-enough to do
'my business" he would be answered, 1--WE
"have all kinds of medicine you must dis
"criminate and select that which fits your
cease, for most of these medicines would kill
"a well man you must consider what kind
you need and then use it with the greatest
discretion"
1t is with ministers stuff as with doctors
stuff. Men are told that they must have
religion or they will perish everlastngly, and
they seize any of the things labeled religion"
ph ha hi,
and strychnine are both medicines and there
is no less difference in the various things
called religion. There is the bread of life
and the poison Of death.
If We go back into the history of the past
we find that all sorts of things have been
held . sacrsd as religion. Abraham would
have sacrificed his son to his religion. Ste.
phen was stoned to death because he gathered
firewood on the Seventh day, IN the name oil
religion. Joshua slew the Cananites, men,
women and children, in the most barbarous
manner, because his religion commanded it,
1921 years ago last Thursday band Of Ro-
man soldiers surrounded a man whom they
had nailed to the cross, not because he was a
murderer, or q kidnapper, or deceitful poll
tician, or hypocrtical priest who thought
one thing in his study and said another in his
pulpit, but because he had taught religion
Of love, by which a man could be saved with
out the blood Of bulls because he was es-
teemed blasphemer of the priests, who did
not believe in q religion of love and charity,
but "passee by on the other side"-perhaps
because they were in hurry to attend a
prayer meeting at Jerusalem. Christ was
cruciied as an act of religion, and the high
priest who directed it lifted up his robes, on
the phylacteries of which were inscribed the
whole of the 18th chapter Of Deuteronomy,
and shouted Glory to God
Come down little later, and in 1852 We
see Spanish doctor burned to death outside
the gates Of Geneva, by the followers of
John Calvin. because he denied the Trinity.
In the year 1860 the magistrates OF our own
State of Massachusetts, hanged woman Oh
Boston Common because she was Quaker,
and said that the magistrates had no right
over the eonsciences Of man, that the sprink-
ling Of water on baby's face did no good
and did not Please God. that she was opposed
to war. aud that women had rights as well as
men. That was an act Of religion.