Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-01-29

head of The EEdmiaer that man might asso
ciate with men from whose theological tenets b
utterly dissentcd, because he sympathizcd will
the special bcnevocncc which they would por
formP because he had an ethical sympathy wit
them in spite of their theology because he be
lievcd that good man ought always to seel
occasions of working with men, rather than O
working away from themp
| We should be sorry to suppose ourselves sii-
gular in this judgment. Are we to take tie
| ground that no orthodox man shall encourage
the young to self-improvement and to works If
benevolence, unless they are sound in the fail P
| because Mr.. Parker teaches wrong Theology
to the young men of his charge, are we to held
off and refuse to help them when they cndoakor
TO live great deal better than we should sup
| pose their theology would incline them to!-
But this is the very case in hand. The youlg
men in Mr.. Parkcr's society undertook to 10
| good by course of general lectures; we lc-
tured in the course; good papers are full of
| grief; and The Examiner regards it as "uttely
incomprehensiblc" We must be still more m
comprehensive then, when we say, that, tho,gh
| we would earnestly desire men to believe arght
in religion, yet, if they will not, then we lope
that their life will be better than their crect.-
And, if we see men of herctical turn of pind
| practcing Gospel virtues and charities, we 'hall
certainly encourage and help them. For men
do not derive the right to do good from the
| Thirtyninc Articles nor need they go to the
| Westminster Confession for liberty to receiver
the incorporate, set free the bond, feed the hun
| CRY, clothc the naked, educate the ignorant and
| give sleigh-rides to beggars' children that nUer
| before laughed and cuddled in buffalo robe I,
| 1t seems to us great deal better business for a
Christian man to encourage men in wcll-doing
| than to punish them for wrong thinking
Rut JIs Er1o,i9,,a. tbinle tbof tl,o &c
this course of lectures will "reRcct cc,tain ius-
Ter upon the Twenty-eighth Congregational So
clety, and upon the man whose infidelity i, its
| pervading spirit" Well, what then? Are we
to punish an infidcl for his infdety by refusing
him all credit for personal goodness. for active
beneyolence, for practical humanity?
| If anybody does right he ought to he applaud
cd. If Mr. Parker does well he deserves the
credit for well-doing If the Young men of his
charge do well, they deserve the cluster" of it.
| Or shall we take the ground that no man who
is not of sound orthodox faith is to have any
cluster for practical virtues? Must nobody
be accounted ethically right until he is thcolog-
ically sound? Such doctrine would be mon
strous Every just and generous man in the
community ought to rejoice in the good conduct
of every man. without regard to his speculative
views or theological aifnities
II man institutes temperance movement,
must refuse to help him because, being a I'm
iversalist minister, his zeal and fidelity in that
cause would "rellect luster' upon him and his
sect? If man would establish and endow n
hospital, must refuse to co-work with him be-
cause, being Unitarian, its success would re-
fleet certain luster upon that faith?
When, in the pestience in New Orleans, the
Sisters of Charity did not count their lives dear
to them, but night and day. fearless of death
| and defiant pf
to the care of the miserable sick, must |, a Prot
estant, refuse admiration or fellowship for fear
"ccrtain lustcr" would shine upon the Roman
| Catholic Chdrch?
| If Jew does nobly, he deserves the luster
which right-doing ought to confer if an Athe-
ist or an Iniidcl live yirtuously and act honora-
blf, uSRpnld ,hayr the "lusicr'' holorpir,- 10
Does The Eraminr- think that we do not
care for our own theologic views? We care a
good deal. We shall Yield them to no mans
dictaton We shall not inGorse any mans the
ology which differs from them. We have
enough of the old disciple nature left TO feel
very dcsirous that folks who will cast out devils
should do it in our train If they won't,-whv
then, we will help them to do il in Mcir way
But If we were TO help an Episcopal move
ment for general benevolence. would any man
say that We indorsed High-church notions? Il
we were atfectionately and urgently invited tc
Princeton, to examine the senior class in theol.
ogy and give them some tender cautions or
parting from Turretin and entering the life o
realities, would anybody be so cruel as to sa,
that We believe in high Cavnism, or were in.
| different to all woes of conscience produced b,
that energetic systemP Bishop Hughes viii
never invite us to speak in his new cathedral
and we not promptly accept it. But we aflcc.
tionately appeal to The Examiner whether OF
such an interesting occurrence, he would think
it his duty to pierce us with such remarks a.
are now puncturng our peace from his words
If | had gone to Boston to buy carpets oi
books; or if had gone to Boston TO help tn,
Republican cause, no question would have beer
raised. In selfish and worldly interests men ar,
allowed cooperation for common ends. But i
| ! divest myself Of all selfish or secular aims
and rise to high,. plane of benevolence, ant
seek to raise the fallen, TO restore the lost, L
purify the vicious, to elevate the ignorant, anC
to cheer the poor and neglected, Christian min
listers and editors will not let me cooperate fo
such divine objects with every man who vii
sincerely work for them but / must pick fo
men of right philosophy, for men right in al
theology! Thus we allow selfshness to go will
flowing robes and loose grdle. We make he
feet light, and her hands nimble. But upon re
ligion we put iron shoes and steel gloves w,
burden her with mall and underneath it all W,
draw the girt of conscience to the last hole
Then she goes slowly forth, scarcely able to wall
or to breathe!
l have long ago been convinced that it wa
better to love men, than to hate them; that on
would be more likely to convince them of wron,
belief by showing a cordial sympathy with thei
welfare, than by nipping and pinching then
with logic. And although do not disdain, bu
honor philosophy applied to religion, ! thinl
that the world just now needs the Christian
Heart more than anything else. And even
the only and greatest question were the propa
CATION of right theology, l am confident tina
right speculative views will grow up faster an,
frmer in the summer of true Christian loving
than in the rigorous winter of solid, congeale
orthodoxy, or the clustering March of contro
versy.
Does anybody inquire why, if so thinking, W
occasionally give such sharp articles upon tn
great religious newspapers, The Observer Ih
Lntetigencer and the like? Oh pray do no
think it for any ill-will. 1t is all kindness :
We only do it to keep our voice in practice
We have made orthodoxy study. And by al
attentive examination of The Presbyterian, TR
Observer, The Puritan Recorder, and such lik
unblpnnishp1 nOnfaseore we hovo ,,orca;,.od tl,o