The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-05

interest. In fact, they apparently congre
gate for no other purpose than to simpl!
crafty their desire for spoutng; for the!
have no notion Of modifying each other
opinions by what they may say, or Of ac
complishing any practical result. or cours,
they have right to amuse themselves il
any harmless way; but it strikes us here il
New York as little surprising that thes,
Boston philosophers should choose such Q
way.
An example OF these Boston symposia was
furnished the other night in n gathering ii
the parlOrs Of the Rev 10 Cook. and tn,
idea was to bring together men and woncr
OF different shades of religious belief. rep
rcsenting the extremes of liberal thought
and orthodoxy" They didn't 20 TO talb
civilly and pleasantly together about such
subjects as might arise and as people or.
dinarily do when they go out in society, aud
thus 10 get TO know each other, but TO make
speeches on a set subject, OF to listen to
them.
The subject at the Rev. 10 Cooks party
was DIR. CLAIMING. who has been dead a
good many years. Mr.. ALPBEUs HARDY,
representing the laity and riches took the
chair; and Mr.. ALCoTT, the Concord PLATO. "
rose and opened the meeting. He is past
eighty; but when somebody advised him to
sit during his remarks, which were breath
le5sly awaited, he gracefully declined, say
ing, Z" One takes on better tone by stand
ing;' and religion requires the better
tone, unqucstiUnahly. Mr.. ALCOTr spoke
admringly vi DR.. CLAIMING, but said IL he
had anything to object to In him it was that
che So exalted the dignity OF human nature
as TO almost crown 1t with divinity" Mr..
ALcorT seemed to think there was some
thing after all in the doctrine OF total de-
pravity, at which expression OF opinion
there was much surprise. DR.. BowDITCH
didn't care lone straw about DR.. CHAN
NING's theological views | have none my
self" Il am not fond of theologizng, said
DR. BAlToL. "Am not member Of the
Unitarian Church. and don't call myself Il
Unitarian" 81 never saw DR.. CLAIMING"
said Col. H1GGINSoN; che never had much
influence on me-" DR.. BAKER, u Presby-
terrain minister. praised DR. CLAIMING for
having painted NAPOLEON as black a. he
really was, thus forccasting 1.-THE opinion
into which the world has settled that he was
lis sublmest rascal" DR.. WARD rcckoned
ALEXANDER knox, CoLERIDGE, and CHAN
MING as "the three greatest theological
thinkers Of their century" IL don't know
what his theology was" said the Rev. Mr.
DUDLEY. and don't care; but no one ever
questioned the quality OF his religion" 81
hope that am a free thinker" said the Rev
10 COOK, the host, and yet | cannot get
away from three things-GoD, myself and
my record"
Thus these philosophers talked, saying
nothing more important than we have
quoted, while everybody listened with due
gravity But, after all. what was the use
Who got any real benefit from all these
words, any new information. any helpful
knowledge; DR.. CLAIMING unqucstionably
left pretty broad mark on the religious
thought Of his day, but it is n mark which
Is now dim beside those that the last quar-
ter of n century has made. The direction of
religious discussion has changed since his
time. and there can be- little profit in analyz-
ing him now except for ones own gratilca-
ton. How many subjects OF immediate and
pressing interest there are for public teach
ers to talk about, subjects whose elucida-
ton might do the people good,
What bore that party at the Rev. 10
Cooks must have been to those present who
entertain the opinion that ii is best to re-
frain from making speeches unless YOU have
something Important and valuable TO say
and that even then the provocation should
be- great! The idea of turning a mans
drawing room into lecture nall. aud that
for the consideration of ideas neither novel
nor pertinent to any present needs, II the
young people could have danced, the affair
would have been more sensible.