Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-06-13
From the Boston Journal. May R9th.l
DEATH OF REV. THEODORE PAR.
KER.

0eath OF Rev. Theodore Parker-an even
. not altogether unanticipated, but which
n nevertheless will be heavy news to many
warm personal friends and parishioners.-
NE Parker was one of the remarkable mel
, of She day. and his influence whether fol
good or evil we will not undertake to de
eide, for human judgment is fallible) has
probably been greater than that of any
, preacher in this country, if we may except
Wesley and Claiming.
Mr. Parker was born in Lexington,
Mas, on the 81 of August, 1910. His
father was farmer, and Theodore prepar-
ed himself for college as best he could
He worked on farm, taught school win
ters but studied incessantly. One day be
swung the scythe from sunrise to sunset up
on his fathers meadow, and the next en-
tered Harvard College While there, he
improved his opportunities, made use of
every moment, and graduated a finished
scholar. This was not enough. He could
not content himself with the knowledge
possessed by an ordinary college graduate.
The literature of Europe and the East was
locked away from him, and so he sat down
and mastered the French language. till it
was as familiar to his tongue as household
words He then studied German, and
enjoyed the pleasure of reading the great
German authors and poets in their own
language. The italian. the Spanish. the
Persian, and indeed all still more difficult
languages, were made his own, until the
civilized world, and parts half civil
lied, were within his reach. After
due preparation, Mr.. Parker entered the
ministry, and was settled as pastor over a
Unitarian church in West Roxbury, Mass
achusetts He first excited the suspicious
of the religious world by the delivery of a
sermon in South Boston, upon the occasion
of the ordination of the Rev. Mr.. Shack
ford, in the early part of the year lS4l.-i
We will make single quotation from this
sermon, which will indicate its character
1T has been assumed at the outset, it
would seem. with no sufficient reason, with
out the smallest pretence on its writer's
part, that all of its authors were infallibly
and miraeulously inspired, so that they
could commit no error of doctrine or fact.
Men have been bid to close their eyes at
the obvious difference between Luke and
John; the serious disagreement between
Paul and Peter; to believe, on the smallest
evidence, accounts which shock the moral
sense and revolt the reason, and tend to
place Jesus in the same series with Her
;ules and Apollonius of Tyana.
Q An idOlatrOus regard for the i'm
perfect Scripture of Gods word in the ap- 9
pic of Atalanta, which defeats thelogians ]
mining for the hand of divine truth. But r
he current notions respecting the infallible /
of the Bible have no foundation .
n the Bible itself q
This sermon created good deal of ex- /
itement among the Unitarian body, es- |
'ecially the conservatives. They were not n
atisfed that man holding such views k
hould have the reputation of being a o
Unitarian clergyman in good Standing t,
It this time, Mr.. Parker left the country "
'r Europe where he remained for three D
ears, making the acquaintance of many
its most learned and philanthropic W
len- Among others we may mention the k
anne of Thomas Carlisle, who continued a
is warm friend and admirer. In the m
utumn of 1874 he returned, and exchang- S.
/ pulpits with the Rev. Mr.. Sargent, of ',
OstOn, Unitarian clergyman, The con- d,
srvative Unitarians were exceedingly in n:
lgnant that Mr.. Sargent should admit al
leh hereto into his pulpit, and they ii
persecution against him which III
Dliged him to resign his charge. The sh
ey. Mr.. Clarke, another Boston clergy ht
AN, soon after offered his pulpit to Mr.
arker, which resulted in great excitement VI
nd loss of members to the church. m
Soon after, Mr.. Parker was virtually ex- Sc
'mmunicated from the Unitarian body m
e had powerful friends everywhere in the ar
giOn Of Boston, he had warm sympathizers tn
the Unitarian church. but they were not tn
sufficient numerical strength to be of pc
rvice. His church in West Roxbury su
as crowded: his Boston admirers came sn
It every Sunday in large numbers to hear SCI
IN. At last they were determined that tn
should be entirely Independent, and in M
ted him to preach to them in the MelO- mi
on. He accepted their invitation. and lit
IS settled as their pastor, in the old Pur- kl'
IN fashion. There were no rites or cere- re-
onies connected with his society; he did ful
It administer baptism or communion, and is
ere is in fact no church organization. BU
Mr. Parker continued to preach to sci
rye audiences in the Music Hall for po
veral years, and until failing health ad- sH
onished him that he must bring his labOrs ug
a close. He went abroad about year wi
o, hoping. but not expecting partial mi
cOvery.
The published productions of Mr.. Park fin
have been quite numerous, though most SIN
confined to theological works. In the ell
ar 1912 he published IL mo. volume, luz
titled, "A discourse on matters pertain er