The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-01-22

elevate the ignorant, and to cheer the poor
and neglected, Christian ministers and edi-
tors will not let me CO. operate for such d.
vine objects with every man who will sin-
ceraly work for them n but must pick for
men Of right philosophy, for men right In all
/ theology! Thus we allow sel6shness to 20
/ with flowing robes and loose girdle. We
make her feet light, and her hands nimble.--
4 But upon religion we put iron shoes aud steel
| gloves. We burden her with mail, and un-
derneath it oil we draw the grit of consci-
ence to the last hole. Then she goes slowly
/ forth, scarcely able TO walk or to breathe
! have long ago been convinced that it vas
better to love men than TO hate them; that
one would be more likely to convince them Of
wrong belief by showing cordial sympathy
| with their welfare, than by nipping and pinch
ing them with logic. And although do not
disdain, but honor, philosophy applied to re-
| ligion, / think that the world Just now needs
the Christian heart more than anything else.
And, even if the only and greatest question
were the propagation Of right theology, am
confident that right speculative views will
grow up faster and frmer in the summer OF
true Christian loving, than in the rigorous
winter of solid, concealed orthodoxy, or the
clustering March Of controversy.
Does anybody inquire why, If so thinking,
we occasionally give such sharp articles upon
the great religious newspapers, the Observer,
the lntelligencer, and the like? Oh pray do
not think 1t for any ill-will. II is oil kind
ness We only do it to keep our voice in
practice. We have made orthodoxy study.
And by an attentive examination Of the Pres
byterian, the Observer, the Puritan Record
er and such like unblemished confessors, we
| have perceived that no man is truly sound
who does not pitch into somebody that is not
sound and that real modern orthodox man,
ike nervous Watchdog, must sit on the
door stone of his system, and bark incessant-
ly at everything that comes in sight along the
highway. Aud when there is nothing to
bark at, either he must growl and enaw his
reserved bones, or bark ut the moon TO keep
up the sonorousness Of his voice. And so,
for fear that the sweetness Of our temper
may lead men to think that we have no theo-
logic zeal, we lift up an objurgaton now and
then MS much as to say, "Here we are fierce
and orthodox ready to growl when we can
not bite.o
But the Examiner says: "1he pastor Of
the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn has ap-
peared upon Mr.. Parker's platform, to lend
il his popularity" neither borrowed nor
lent. went before an audience in the Ire
mont Temple, the place for the chief part
OF public lectures, to give my own ideas,
and TO exert whutever power | had by my
thoughts and by my feelings upon such an
audience as pleased TO come. Ii they were
good men they needed me less ii they were
bad they needed me more. But either way,
| was responsible for my own testimony, and
for nothing more; and this was not lent to
MIR. Parker, but to the audience. Yet, when
ever Theodore Parker does what is right and
noble, If il were in my power to lend him
anything, | would do it gladly. | have
| nothing to lend, however, but good will,
! and that never lend, but give free as Gods
air
But, it will be asked, will the public I'M
derstand your position, and, however you
may design il, will not tho impression 20
abroad either that you sympathise with inf
del views, or are Indifferent to them No.
the public are just the ones who will not
misunderstood. There is formed aud form
iug moral judgment in the intelligent part
Of the community that popular Christianity
neels more love in it. Men at large will be
a great deal more apt to say that | done
more exemplary Christian act, in daring to
avow ETHICAL sympathy with Theodore Park
er, between whom ard myself there exists
an irreconcileable theological difference, than
if had bombarded him for whole year
and refused to touch his hand
What pitifu thing it is to see men, who
haye.the chance OF saying what they believe,
who do say it two hundred times year, who
write it, sing il, speak it, and fight IL; who,
by all their social afhnties, by all their life
work, by all positive and most solemn testi-
monies, are placed beyond misconception--
always nervous lest they should sit down
with somebody, or speak with somebody, or
touch somebody, and so lose an immaculate
reputation for soundness Therefore men
peep out Of their systems as prisoners in
jail peep out from iron barred windows, but
dare not come out for fear some sharp sher-
ia Of the faith should arrest them.
If we held Theodore Parker's views, we
should not wait to have it inferred. Men
would hear it from our own lips, and hear it
past all installing. And we are not going
| at our time Of life to begin to watch over
our "inHueHcf;" to cut and trim our SEN
fences lest some housing critic should
pouuce upon some infeicity and draw upon
us suspicion. We have never sought in
huence, and we never shall seek IL. Any
that We have now, came to Us because we
went straight forward, doing whatever was
right, and always believing that louing
heart was a better Judge OF whas pds right
infallible. Both make mistakes. But the
errors OF the heart dissolve in the kindness
Of mems natures as snow faxes dissolve in
| warm bosomed lakes, while she errors Of
cold intellect pierce and stick like arrows
II cannot make my people understand my
belief, in tifty-two Sabbaths of the year,
shall not mend the matter by refusing to fol-
low the generous sympathies Of my heart.
/ No. The common people will not misua-
deratand Nor will the practical Christian
ministers. They may differ from my judg-
ment, but they will understand my deed. II
1 Is only those professed defenders of the
faith, who, having erected suspicion into
Christian grace, practice SANDER as Christ.
ian duty. that will be liable to mistake. And
il makes no difference whether sueh men un.
derstand or not. These men are like aspen
trees growing upon rocks. In conceit and
/ arrogance they are hard as the granite, while
they srembie all over like aspen leaves with
perpetual fears and apprehensions Of dismal
mischief to comet
Whom Theodore Parker appears in his rep
resentative character us a theologian, 1 am
- irreeoncilably opposed to him Us it is pos
sih'e to b.. The things that are dear TO him
are chserlcss and unspeakabiy solitary and
monrnful 10 me. Tho things which are the