Theodore Parker

Tho Editor of Ihe True Democrat tlius speaks of a sermón by tliis celebratec prencher : Yesterday I listened to a vcry singular sermón from the celebrnied Tlieodore Parker. Ho is one of the lndependents, and preaches entirely uoon his " own hook." He is a íort of transcondentnlist, and his religious theory,if religión it may be called, to me was new, and such as a fanciful and Poetic mind might weave for itïelf, having fust disposed of nl] scripture restraints. His subject was Human Progress, He bogan by rejesting the traditions of Mosps, in regard to the age of the world, and the creation of man. He asserted that man, at tne creation, must, from the very circumstances of the case, have been ignorant and far more dobased than now. - He regrotled the idea of man's ever having fallen from goodness, but, from the day of liis first existence, said he had been progressing in virtue and knowledge. - Fie ihen traced the improvements of mankind from the early agesuntil the present day, and in doingthis, gave a great mass of very vahmble informations, and clothed his views in Ihe finest language of the scholar, and delivered his remaiks vvith great gracefulness and (orce. He seemed to believe fully, in t!ie existanceof God, nnd in his comniunioii with man. As the body had eyes with whicli it looked out upon the world, so, he said, these were windows to the sou], through which it could look out upon God, and spirilual tliings. All men were inspirad, to a greater or esser exlent, and [by foüowing vh-tuo end goodness, ihey might in the process of things, excol the Prophets and Apostles, and even Jeaus himself. The idealism of perfection might be realized hy all. He closed by denouncing all the evils and systems that stand in ihe way of human progresa, such as iateraparanca and slavery, which he pronounced tho greatest curses of all, and exhortcd his hearers to walk uprighlly, to perfect their own natures,and laber constantly in works ofbenevolence and love, that the world might advance in holiness, happiness and trutli. Il is moráis were all good, for Ihey were taken from the Bible ; but he ïejected entirely all lliose prov'sions which Infinite Goodneess has made, by which alone man can be absolved from the guilt of sin, and his heart imbued with that love ofthe Divine nnture, whicli only can enable him to livo blameless. Under his )rcacliing, man might be led to rcsolvc and re-resilve, but st 11 he wou'id die the same.