Year: 1859

But, on the other hand, the attempt
to suppress q man, and to silence his
speech, on the great topics which are
common to men Of all religious views,
must produce, not only among his per-
sonal friends, but among honorable men
who utterly differ from him in religion,
a determination that he shall have a
chance to speak, at least; and then, if
people did not wish to hear an % infdel," !"
on secular topics. Of course they can stay
at home. Tn other respects this lecture
course was like ordinary courses. The
only respect in which il, was peculiar
was that Theodore Parker was to deliver
four lectures in the course. upon Wash
ington. John Adams, Jefferson, and Ben
jamin Franklin. ...ss. bsf .,s.,-


The funds, over and above the cxpcn-
ses, If there should be any, were not de-
signed to support either Mr.. Parker or
the Twenty eighth Congregational socie-
ty, of which he is the minister. 4 They
were to be employed in charitable pur-
poses, and for the most part among the
poor and unfriended! ~. aaa u


And if the young men Of the Twenty
eighth Congregational society of Boston
judged that we were one who would be
glad to cooperate with Theodore Parker,
in all honorable ways which did not i'm
ply appreciation of his theology. for OBJ
jects common to all men; and if they
judged that we should be forward to aid
all measures, among all sects, which
had for their object the Improvement of
the young, and the relief Of the suffer-
ing, they Judge rightly. We believe in
the right of free speech even of men
whose speech, when delivered, we do
not believe!


Did The Examiner think that the young
gentlemen of Mr.. Parker's society got
up course Of popular lectures for the
sake OF coyertly propagating infdelity.
and invited me, without disclosing the
inward scheme, to garnish the course,
and to lend my influence. blindfolded.
to such an aim Or did it never enter
the head of The Examiner that a man
might associate with men from whose
theological tenets he utterly dissented.
because he sympathized with the special
benevolence which they would perform :?
because he had an ethical sympathy with
them in spite of their theology? because
he believed that a good man ought al
ways to seek occasions Of working with
men, rather than working away from
them ? ~


We would be sorry to suppose our
selves singular in this Judgment. Are
we to take the ground that no orthodox
man shall encourage the young to self
government and to works of benevolence,
unless they are sound in the faith {? Be-
cause Mr.. Parker teaches wrong theol-
ogy to the young men Of his charge, are
We to hold off and refuse to help them
when they endeavor to live great deal
better than we should suppose their the
ology would incline them to !? But this
is the very case in hand. The young
men in Mr.. Parker's society undertook
to do good by course Of general lect-
ures ; we lectured in the course good
papers are full of grief; and The Exam
iner regards it as utterly Incompetent
sible.' We must be still more incom-
prehensible then, when we say that,
though We would earnestly desire men
to believe Alright in religion, yet. if they
will not, then we hope that their life will
be better than their creed. And if we
see men of a heretical turn of mind prac-
ticing Gospel virtues and charities, we
shall certainly encourage and help them.
For men do not derive the right to do
good from the Thirty mine Articles nor
need they go to the Westminster Con-
fession for liberty to recover the intem-
perate, set free the bond, feed the hun
CRY, clothe the naked, educate the igno-
rant and give sleigh-rides to beggars'
children that never before laughed and
cuddled in buffalo robe ? It seems to
us great deal better business for a
Christian man to encourage men in we'll
doing than to punish them for wrong
thinking.


But The Examiner thinks that the sue
cess of this course Of lectures will "re-
feet a certain luster upon the Twenty
eighth Congregational society. and upon
the man whose infdelity is its pervading
spirit" Well, what then? Are we to
punish an infdel for his infidelity by re-
fusing him all credit for personal good
ness. for active benevolence, for practi-
cal humanity


If anybody does right he ought to be
applauded. If Mr.. Parker does we'll he
deserves the credit for ell-doing. If
the young men of his charge do we'll,
they deserve all the luster" of it. Or
shallwe take ground that no man who is
not Of sound orthodox faith is to have
any cluster" for practical virtues p
Must nobody be counted ethically right
until he is theologically sound Such
doctrine would be monstrous Every
just and generous man in the communi-
ty ought to rejoice in the good conduct
of every man, without regard to his
speculative views or theological affinities!


If man institutes a temperance
movement, must refuse to help him be-
csuse, being Universalist minister, his
zeal and fidelity in that cause would
"refect a luster" upon him and his sect ?
LII man would establish and endow a
hospital. umust refuse to co-work with
him because, being Unitarian. its suc-