Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-06-02
THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THEODORE
PARKER.

The friends of Theodore Parker had been
prepared to expect his death by news of his
rapid decline, and was not therefore surprised to
hear that he died at Florence Italy, on the 10th.
He was born at Lexington in 1910. and was
therefore about 80 years of age. His father
was farmer, and his grandfather revolution
AIRY soldier He graduated with honor at Cam
bridge, and commenced his career as preacher
with the second (Unitarian) church in Roxbury
Hr gradually became more liberal in his views
than is tolerated by the most liberal sect itself
and an independent society of free thinkers and
social reformers was organized for him in Bos-
ton 1911, under the title OF the twenty eighth
Congregational society of Boston," No church
has ever been connected with this society, and
the rites of the church have been omitted For
nearly twenty years Mr. Parker has held this
society together by the force Of his genius and
earnestness as preacher, with the aid of al
most none of the appliances and motives that
constitute the permanent strength of other re-
ligious organizations. At Music Hall, during
this time Mr.. Parker has preached constantly
to AUDIENCES three or four times as large as
those gathered in any other church in Boston,
and has maintained ar unhagging interest, I'M
til absolutely broken down by excess of mental
labor His discourses have also been widely
published in this country, and in England and
Germany, and have probably found more read
ers than the sermons of any of his cotempo-
raries. A man who leaves history like this
has indicated his right to be recognized as
possessing unmistakeable power. Probably no
minister ever had more warmly attached per-
sona friends in his congregation, or wider
circle of admirers in the community at large.
We have spoken freely of Mr. Parker,s viz
tues and faults during his life, and there is less
need that we recur to them now. We have no
doubt he will be much more praised now that
he is dead than while living. Those who were
offended with the merices rreverence with
which he attacked their cherished ideas, or the
unsparing severity with which he dissected the
characters of the living and dead, will now for
get these faults in their admiration of the pro-
found and universal scholarship, the philosophic
insight and the stern intellectual and moral in
tegrity of the man, which made him naturally
the critic and judge of his age. We think it
will also be seen that, in spite of his skepticism
in regard TO many things held to be most firm
ly established in the church and most essential
to human welfare, he was a man of genuine re-
ligious experience and of a beautiful devotional
spirit. This was always apparent in his public
prayers, by which the most orthodox Christians
confessed themselves to be deeply moved and
attracted, wondering that one who believed so
Mr. Parker's errors were the errors of q true
and earnest man. His faults were the result of
Impotence with the follies and sins of others.
He disavowed the title of "Reverend," as be-
longing only to God, and we therefore omit it
from his name. His work on earth is finished
and he has gone to land of clearer intellectual
vision, where the heart and intellect are in har-
mony, and where errors of the reason will not
be treated as crimes. For good or evil, he has
left his mark deeply impressed upon thousands
OF this generation, and the ideas he so clearly
and boldly uttered will have an influence in the
ology and social life long after his name is for
gotten by the multitude. His history as pri-
vate individual is yet to be written, and it is
said by those who knew him and loved him best
that few men lived so pure, noble and dsinter-
ested life One third of his income was for
many years devoted to purposes of charity, and
the sincerest mourners at his grave will be
hundreds of the poor and unfortunate whom
he has relieved. No call for compassion was
ever made to him in vain, and "the cause that
he knew mot he sought out" He believed in
the ritual worship declared by James to be
''pure and undeiled," the visiting of the father
less and widows in their affection, and he acted
accordingly. Now that he is dead some friend
should write the story of this best but least
known portion of his daily life.-Sp. Rep.