Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-02
rwo Letters rxOM wHrrrikR

HIS Responses to tho Unitarisns and the Uni.
Mr.. John q. Whittier wrote m follows In
reply to the invitation TO attend the Unita-
risn festival In Boston:
Henry H. Edss,
DEAR FRIEND: Your festival occurs ON
the same day IN the Friends quarterly meet
ing at Amesbury, which l hope to attcnd !;
but thank you tor the kind invitation.
Attached a. I am 10 the principles and testi-
monies Of my own society ] have, i trust
quite outgrown the narrowness Of sect and
opinion. ] have fellowship with all, what
ever their name and label may be- who seek
to serve and follow our common Master. lu
the matter OF Christian charity and that
broad, unseltish benevolence which gives
freely without first lnquiring into the spec
ulative opinions OF the needy, your society
has claim upon the goodwill Of all others.
IL some of us think you sadly need the
crutches OF dogma, we may all rejoice at
such example Of practical righteousness NJ
many OF your members have given u.s. One
of these, the late Henry +. Kidder, Will be
greatly missed in your annual assembly.
am very truly thy friend,
JouS g.. WHITTIER.
To a similar in nvitation from the Universe.
list body he wrote
OAK KNOLL, DASvERs, 9th mo-, 10, 1856.
DEAR FRIEND: ! thank thee tor thy kind
invitation. The quarterly meeting of friends
festival, and with none but kind feelings
toward other denominations l naturally
am inclined to be ith .mine own people"
! recognize the Importance OF the revolt of
your religious society from the aufui dogma
of predestned happiness for the few and
damnAtion for the many, though, in the out
set, that revolt brought with II something of
the old iatsllstic belief in the arbitrary will
and power OF tho Almighty. Assuming that
fsvored:iew can be saved 10y divine de-
a N an on THAR m r.
1t was logical at least to suppose that all might
be saved in the same way. II mistake not
this view has been greatly modified by the
consideration that the natural circumstance
Of death cannot make any real change OF
character that no one can be compelled To be
good or evil that freedom of choice belongs
To both worlds, and that sin IL, 10y its very ma
ture, inseparable from suffering. | am not
accustomed to attach very great IMPORTANCE
To speculative opinions, and am not disposed
to quarrel with any creed which avoids the
danger on one hand of attributing i'm pacable
vengeance and cruelty to the Heavenly
Father, and on the other of undertaking the
"exceeding sinfulness of sin" and lis
baieful consequences.
Slowly but surely the dreadful burden OF
the old belief in the predetermined eternity
of evil Is being lifted from the heart OF
humanity, and the goodness of God, which
ieadeth to repentance, Is taking the place Of
the infinite scorn which made love we'll nigh
impossible. The emphasis of your denial
that the divine economy is alike conservs.
tive Of evil and good, misery and happiness,
gives your organization claim on the good
feeling OF other sects, which, while fully
realizing the solemn truth OF the connection,
here and hereafter, of sin and suffering, are
looked upon the problem of human destiny y
with the hope inspired by a clearer view o
the revelation, made by letter and spirit, o
Him whose mercy endureth forever"
am truly thy friend,
JoHS g. WHITTIER.