Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-02-04

6yierian, the Observer, the Puritas Re
corder, and such like unblemished con.
fessors, we have perceived that no mar
is truly sound that does not pitch into
somebody that is not sound; and tina: q
real modern orthodox man, like = net
vous Watchdog, must set on the door.
stone of system, and bark necessarily at
everything that comes in sight along the
highway. And when there is nothing
to bark at,either he must growl and gnav
his reserved bones, or bark at the moon
to keep up the sonorousness of his voice
And SO, for fear that the sweetness Of oul
temper may lead men to think that We
have no theologic zeal, we lift up an OBJ
iurgation now and then-as much as to
say, "Here we are, fierce and orthod OF
ready to growl when we cannot bite. "
But the Examiner says 1.-The pastor
Of the Plymo,h Church in Brooklin has
appeared upon Mr.. Parkers platform, to
lend it his popularity" neither bor-
rowed nor lent. ] went before an audi.
ence in the fremont Temple. the place
for the chief part Of public lectures. to
give my own ideas,a and TO exert whatever
power had by nv thoughts and by
my feelings upon such audience as pleas
cd to come. lfthey were good men they
needed me less; if they we're bad they
needed me more. But either way,I was
responsible for my own testimony, and
for nothing more; and this was not lent
to Mr.. Parker, but to the auiience.-
Yet, whenever Theodore Parker does
what is right and noble, if it were
possible for me to lend him anything l
would do it gladly. have nothing to
lend, however. but good will, aud that l
never lend, but give free as Gods air !
But, it will be q ked, will the public
understand your position, and, however
you may deeign it; will not the impress
sion 60 abroad either that you sympa-
thize with in6del views. or are Indifferent
to them. No. The public are just
the ones who.w.ll net misunderstand.-
There is formed aud forming moral
Judgment in the;Htslllgent part of the
community that popular Christianity
needs more lose in. it. Men at large
will be great deal more apt to say that
have done q more exemplary .Christian
act, in daring to aYow ap sihien., sympa-
thy with Theodore Parker. between
whom and myself there exists an irrecon.
cileable difference than If l had lombard
I'd him for whole year, and refused to
touch his hand
What pitiful thing it is to see men,
who have the chance Of saying what they
believe, who do say it two hundred times
year. who write it, sing it, speak it,
and fight it; who, by all their social affini
ties. by all their hfe-work, by all posi-
tive and most solemn testimonies, are
placed beyond misconception-always
nervous lest they should sit down with
somebody. or speak with somebody, or
teach somebody, and so lose an imm Gu.
late reputation for sounSness There
fore men peep out from their sy ystems as
prisoners in Jail peep out Of iron-barred
windows. but dare not come out for fear
some sharp sheriff Of the faith should
arrest them.
II we held Theodore Parker's views.
we should not wait to have it inferred
Men would hear it from our lips. and
hear it past all mistaking And we are
not going at our time Of life to begin to
watch over our 'inausnce'; to cut and
trim our sentences lest some mousing
critic should pounce upon an infelicity
aud draw upon us suspicion. We
have never sought influence, and we
shall not seek it. Amy that we have now,
came to us because we went straight for
ward. doing whatever was right, and al
ways believingshat . loping heart was O
better judge Of what ,cas right than cold
and accurate head. Neither is infailible
Both make mistakes. But the errors oi
the heart dissolve in the kindness ofmen's
natures as snow fakes dissolve in warm
bosomed lakes, while the errors Of cold
intellect pierce and stick like arrows. II
I cannot make my people understand my
belief. in fifty-two Saobaths Of the year.
l shall not mend the matter by refusing
to follow the generous sympathies Of my
heart.
No. The common people will not
understand. Nor will practical Chris
tian ministers. They may differ from
my Judgment. but they will understand
my deed. 1t is only those professed de.
tenders of the faith, who, having erected
suspicion into Christian grace, practice
slander as Christian duty, that will be
liable to mistake. And 1t makes NO diff.
ference whether such men understand or
not. These men are like aspen trees
growing ON rocks. In conceit and arro-
gance they are hard as granite, while
they tremble all over like aspen leaves
with perpetual fears and applehensions
of dismal mischief to come.
When Theodore Parker appears in his
representative character as theologian,
l am as irreconcllably opposed to him as
it is possible to be. The things that are
dear to him, are cheerless and unspeak-
ably solitary and mournful to me. The
things which are the very centre of my
existence, the glory of my thought and
the strength of my ministry. are to him
but very little. I differ from him in
fact, in theory. in statement, in doctrine,
in system. in hope and expectation. liv-
ing or dying laboring or rssting-in the
o;oey we ere separate and kreconcila-
BILE.
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