Puslapio vaizdai
PDF
„ePub“

the letters of Buckle, and in the second volume are the letters which passed between them as the result of Parker's attempt to see the historian. In his first letter Buckle stated that he was familiar with Parker's writings, and in all of his letters his expression of admiration was considerable.

The two volumes of the "Life and Writings of Buckle," by Alfred Henry Huth, reprints the correspondence, and indicates the appreciation of Parker on the part of Buckle to have been lively and most friendly, in so far as their brief correspondence made this possible. John Mackinnon Robertson, in his "Buckle and His Critics," devotes a chapter to Parker and his article. "Parker's criticism seems to have been, with one exception [Saturday Review, July 11, 1857, by a Mr. Sanders], that which interested Buckle the most of those which he lived to read, and it might well do so, being the performance of a widely read and exceptionally conscientious critic." He speaks of Parker's painstaking, with a quantity of result hardly commensurate with the copious and conscientious preparation. Robertson subjects all who have written of Buckle to a severe arraignment, with rarest exceptions; and his dissent from Parker's conclusions is in no degree singular for him.

Buckle appears to have had a considerable influence on Parker's later thinking. This is seen in the serics of sermons on the revelation of God in matter and mind which is printed in this edition of Parker's works for the first time. It did not lessen in any degree the vigor and completeness of his idealism, but it gave him an enlarged conception of man's relations to the universe and the influence of economic conditions on human progress.

Page 376, note 1. Azote, nitrogen, the name given it by Lavoisier, and still used in France. Azotized, nitrogenous.

Page 386, note 2. The Crimean war, to which
Parker often made reference in his sermons and lec-
tures.

Page 410, note 3. Joseph Francois Lafitau, 1670–
1746, was a French missionary to Canada. In 1724
he published at Rome, in two volumes, his "Mœurs
des sauvages amériquains comparés aux mœurs des
premiers temps." This is one of the standard early
works on the life of the Indians. Lord Monboddo,
1714-1799, was the author of "Origin and Progress
of Language," and Ancient Metaphysics." He
collected facts about savage peoples, and in some re-
spects anticipated Darwin as to the origin of man in
animal life. Christopher Meiners, 1747-1810, was a
German historian, who wrote on the history of re-
ligion, philosophy and science.

66

Page 410, note 4. Several accounts of the nurtur-
ing of boys by wolves are given in "A Journey
through the Kingdom of Oude in 1849-1850." By
Major-General Sir W. H. Sleeman. London, Bentley,
1858, two vols. These narratives are in vol. I, pages
208-222. Sleeman also wrote books on the Thugs,
and various works on political economy. See Tylor,
"Primitive Culture," vol. I, page 281, for a genuine
interpretation of these stories about wolves.

Page 410, note 5. An account of the stealing of a
girl by an orang outang is given in "The Prison of
Weltervreden; and a Glance at the East Indian Archi-
pelago." By Walter M. Gibson. New York, J. C.
Riker, 1855. Probably other incidents narrated in
this book are referred to by Parker.

Page 411, note 6. The education of negroes was
forbidden by law in the South, and the punishment was

severe.

Page 418, note 7. Laurens Perseus Hickok, 1798–
1888, was a Congregational minister, professor in
Western Reserve College, Auburn Theological Semi-

on

nary, Union College, and president of the latter institution, 1866-1868. He published works "Moral Science," 1853; Mental Science," 1854; "Rational Cosmology," 1858; "Rational Psychology," 1861; "Logic of Reason," 1874. He was regarded as a strong thinker in his day, but Parker's judgment has not held good.

IX

HENRY WARD BEECHER

In the Atlantic Monthly for May, 1858, the first volume, appeared this review of the work of the great Brooklyn preacher, based on a compilation of Beecher's sayings in his sermons and lectures. It was Parker's only contribution to the Atlantic Monthly, and one of the last of his literary articles. It has not been reprinted.

Beecher lectured in the course conducted by the Parker fraternity, in 1858, and was severely criticised in various evangelical journals. He replied in the Independent for January 6 and 13, 1859. Both articles were printed in pamphlet form. The first was on "Total Depravity," in reply to the charge that he had denied it. The second article was on "Working with Errorists," and especially applied to his delivery of the lecture to such a society, usually regarded as propagandist of infidelity of the worst kind. "We believe in the right of free speech," Beecher replied, "even by men whose speech, when delivered, we cannot believe." "What a pitiful thing it is to see men. who have the chance of saying what they believe, who do say it two hundred times a year, who write it, sing it, speak it, and fight it; who by all these social affirmations, by all their life-work, by all positive and most solemn testimonies, are placed beyond misconception, always nervous lest they should sit down

with somebody or speak with somebody, and so lose an immaculate reputation for soundness! Therefore men peep out from their systems as prisoners in jail peep out of barred windows, but dare not come out for fear some sharp sheriff of the faith should arrest them."

In view of Parker's appreciation of Henry Ward Beecher, it is interesting to note that he did not admire the theology of Dr. Lyman Beecher, the father, as may be seen from a record made in his diary at a period considerably subsequent to that of Beecher's preaching in Boston.

"March 31, 1852. Old Dr. Beecher came to see me, and spent an hour and a half. Tell me who you are,' he said, 'where you came from, and how you got so far from the common track.' I did so, and we had a quiet talk. He is genial, generous, activeminded, and expressed a strong sympathy for me, and a good deal of feeling of kindliness towards me."

In a letter written from Santa Cruz, in 1859, Parker gave an account of his early acquaintance with Lyman Beecher and the repulsive effect produced upon his mind by his theology. This was in the winter of 1831-32, when Beecher was using every effort to revive the older phases of theology in Boston.

6

"For a year," Parker wrote, "though born and bred among Unitarians, I had attended the preachings of Dr. Lyman Beecher, the most powerful orthodox minister in New England, then in the full blaze of his talents and reputation, and stirred with polemic zeal against Unitarians, Universalists, Papists, and Infidels.' I went through one of his 'protracted meetings,' listening to the fiery words of excited men, and hearing the most frightful doctrines set forth in sermon, song, and prayer. I greatly respect the talents, the zeal, and the enterprise of that able man, who certainly taught me much; but I came away with no

confidence in his theology. The better I understand it, the more self-contradictory, unnatural, and hateful did it seem. A year of his preaching about finished all my respect for the Calvinistic scheme of theology."― Weiss, vol. I, p. 57.

Page 427, note 1. In the biography of H. W. Beecher by W. C. Beecher and S. Scoville, page 289, it is stated: "Mr. Beecher gave himself unreservedly to this contest." "My church," Beecher himself wrote, "voted me all the time that I thought to be required to go out into the community and speak and canvass the state of New York. I went into that canvass, spoke twice and often three times a week, having the whole day to myself—that is, making all the speeches that were made. I was sent principally, to what was called the Silver-Gray district or counties -the old-time Whigs that were attempting to run a candidate between Fremont and Buchanan. I generally made a three hours' speech a day in the open air to audiences of from eight to ten thousand people." Beecher advocated the election of John C. Fremont in this campaign of 1856.

Page 427, note 2. John Parker Hale of New Hampshire is the one indicated in this quotation. In 1852 he was the candidate of the Free-Soil party for president. When a monument to his memory was dedicated in Washington, Frederick Douglas said: "No statue of patriot, statesman, or philanthropist of our times will convey to aftercoming generations a lesson of moral heroism more sublime."

X

LIFE AND CHARACTER OF DR. FOLLEN

This was the first of Parker's many studies of literary and political leaders prominent in American life.

« AnkstesnisTęsti »