curative power, as well as the power to rise to highest mental and moral conditions, is inherent in the human organism. Our drugs, special appliances, and external saviors of the soul, must go overboard together. Let us call on the God within us; work out our own salvation, be it from physical disease or mental and religious torpor. Would you call the soul upward from bondage to some special sin, or 'some trammel of false religion? You would not turn the mind to the narrow channel of that single thought. No, you would say, "open wide the gates of the soul to the sunlight. Let every energy strive upward toward the truth. Look away from the littleness of this cramping bondage, toward the infinite freedom." Has man a diseased bodily organ? It will never be cured by swinging dumb-bells or taking pills. Let him rather call upon the forces of his whole system in a co-operative, simultaneous, triumphant action of every part. Let strong will, pure thought, high moral purpose and active brains, combine with this physical endeavor, and disease shall no longer pollute the temple.

A true mental and physical culture are necessities of the present day. Both have their prophets and apostles, and they cannot travel far apart. Scorn no aid to human progress and development. Slight not the humblest physical law. All things are holy to the truthseeker. The kingdom of God shall yet come on earth, but not until His will is done here, in obedience to His physical, as well as mental laws, as it is done in heaven.

Emerson tells us that assertion is the highest form of argument. Be that as it may, I am aware that I have here dealt with little else. I desire only to speak a word for the divinity of the body as well as the soul—say, rather, for the Divinity of Man.

LEWIS G. JANES.

A

THE PEDIGREE OF LIBERALISM.

N able writer in the last Radical after pointing out that liberalism often descends through several generations, especially in families of clergymen, asserts that New England Puritanism was an exception to this good law. He seems to think it held the seeds of nothing; that "there was nothing in the rigid tenets of the New England fathers that would ever of itself develop into the liberal doctrines of our own times," but that these came from "outside pressure."

I take issue with him on this point. Certainly some of us modern liberals may claim to hold genealogically and doctrinally of the very earliest Puritans. Let us see.

It is well known that the first church organized in the colony of Massachusetts Bay was that of Salem, in 1629. The first ministers ordained in that or any colony, were Francis Higginson and Samuel Skelton, at Salem, July 20, 1629. No other ordination took place for three years; Brewster and others having meanwhile prophesied at Plymouth "according to the language of the times when a man preached who had not been inducted into the office of pastor or teacher."

Here then was Puritanism, pure and simple. Let us see what it meant. Fortunately there is still extant the Covenant drawn up by Francis Higginson for this church, and accepted August 6th, 1629. I desire to see it reprinted in the Radical, because I know no document which will appear more at home in its pages, and no other pages so suitable for such a document.

COVENANT.

"WE Covenant with our Lord and one with another; and we do bind ourselves in the presence of God, to walk together in all his ways, according as he is pleased to reveal himself to us, in his blessed word of truth; and do explicitly, in the name and fear of God, profess and protest to walk as followeth, through the power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"We avouch the Lord to be our God, and ourselves to be his people, in the truth and simplicity of our spirits.

"We give ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and the word of his grace for the teaching, ruling, and sanctifying of us in matters of worship and conversation, resolving to cleave unto him alone for life and glory, and to reject all contrary ways, canons and constitutions of men in his worship.

"We promise to walk with our brethren with all watchfulness and tenderness, avoiding jealousies and suspicions, backbitings, censurings, provokings, secret risings of the spirit against them; but in all offences to follow the rule of our Lord Jesus and to bear and forbear, give and forgive, as he hath taught us.

"In public or private we will willingly do nothing to the offence of the church; but will be willing to take advice for ourselves and ours, as occasion shall be presented.

“We will not in the congregation be forward either to show our gifts and parts in speaking or scrupling, or there discover the weakness and failings of our brethren; but attend an orderly call thereunto, knowing how much the Lord may be dishonored and his gospel and the profession of it slighted by our distempers and weaknesses in public.

"We bind ourselves to study the advancement of the gospel in all truth and peace, both in regard of those that are within and without; no way

slighting our sister churches, but using their counsel as need shall be; not laying a stumbling-block before any, no, not the Indians, whose good we desire to promote; and so to converse as may avoid the very appearance of evil.

"We do hereby promise to carry ourselves in all lawful obedience to those that are over us in the church or commonwealth, knowing how well pleasing it will be to the Lord, should they have encouragement in their places by our not grieving their spirits through our irregularities.

"We resolve to prove ourselves to the Lord in our particular callings; shunning idleness as the bane of any state, nor will we deal hardly or oppressively with any wherein we are the Lord's stewards.

Promising also unto our best ability to teach our children and servants the knowledge of God and of His Will, that they may serve him also; and all this not by any strength of our own, but by the Lord Christ, whose blood we desire may sprinkle this our Covenant made in His name."

This is Puritanism's original Declaration of Independence in America, half a century before it had been darkened by the witchcraft delusion, or sophisticated by Cotton Mather. All that followed must be interpreted in the light of this "admirable specimen of the spirit of Christian liberty and toleration which actuated those who began the work of Christian reformation in America." It is in these last words that the Covenant is endorsed by Mr. Upham, the Unitarian successor, after two centuries, of him who framed it.

For one, I can echo these words of approval. I could heartily endorse this Covenant of 1629 "for substance of doctrine;" and but, for a very few phrases, could subscribe every word. I find myself nearer in spirit to this broad platform of my ancestor, framed two hundred and thirty-nine years ago, than to any written creed I know. Certainly none of the efforts made to form a Unitarian creed appear so palatable. It is true, as John Robinson predicted, that there has been "more light" since that day. But it proves the essential greatness of the founders of New England society that those who claim to hold the most advanced outposts of thought have got so little beyond even' the letter of this Covenant, and not at all beyond its spirit.

T. W. HIGGINSON.

WA

A LETTER FROM

ALT WHITMAN affords Washington; partly from 1 his pronounced personal appearan out attention. He is quite sure weather, after Department hours, ta Avenue, somewhere between the W Street. A profound, unmistakeab public and literary judgment in ref book, "Leaves of Grass," within th lade commencing in 1856, and kep unreasonably, has at last quite ce and then, but it has become the ex emphatic and indeed unprecedente erson, at their outset, as "the great ica has yet contributed," and the dis critic, that in this book were "inco bly well-though at the time so ex acceded to by a large class of pers of the best writers and critics abro inal publication, been successively I additional poems.

An edition has just been brough publisher, James Camden Hotten, man's Poems." It is edited and s critic, and latest English translator thirds of our poet's writings, and Rosetti. Besides the Editor, there admirers of Whitman in England, gernon C. Swineburne, John Addin John Morley, Robert Buchanan; no a faithful friend as he is the frien manity. Even the Saturday Review Whitman at the head of all America That versatile literary Bohemian, Ge only man of any note or notoriety, w lous stories once so freely circulated The edition Mr. Hotten publishes,

A portion of a familiar

voluminous, and presents more than could be put into one volume of mutilation or change, but as the American edition has become quite the prevailing style of typography, a selection has been made by Mr. Rosetti, affording a handsome volume of about four hundred pages.

It may be added that Mr. Whitman has been for a year past, leisurely preparing and perfecting a final edition of his poems, which is now about finished. This is in better consecutive order, with many new pieces, and especially with a new part or collection, in which he has practically carried out a long nourished design of depicting the Religious element in the character and personality, which is considered by him necessary to the completeness of his work. This edition awaits an American publisher. In this particular, England has been far more appreciative and courteous to the poet than his own country, Here the work great as it is beyond comparison with any other. and representing America as nothing else does, or can do - has, in the true sense of the words, never been published. Mr. Hotten, it may be added, has voluntarily proposed that a fair share of the pecuniary proceeds of the English reprint, shall be devoted to Mr. Whitman. The latter has also received flattering offers from editors of leading British magazines.

We are likely to have some action in Congress on the question of International Copyright, a report being now in preparation, by Mr. Baldwin as Chairman of the House Library Committee. Mr. Arnell of Tennessee deserves the thanks of all authors for having presented the resolution on this subject.

But I must close this rambling letter; not however, without a word of good will to The Radical, for which there is here a growing inMr. Whitman thinks of sending The Radical a Poem in a few RICHARD J. HINTON.

terest.

weeks.

U

PROGRESS.

VALUELESS MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

NFORTUNATELY, the most intellectual nation in the world only makes progress unconsciously, or even in spite of itself. Assemble on the plains of St. Denis all mothers of families, and ask each one of them what future she anticipates for her son. You would not find two of them who would prefer the modest glory of Parmentier, Jacquart, or Franklin to the epaulets of a colonel, the mitre of a bishop, or the embroidered coat of a civil magistrate.

By ED. ABOUT. Translated from the French by HENRY B. BLACKWELL.